Digital Igloo (Eric Klein, YGG)

FAKA! said:
Hey Eric, I see Ampeg in your title and two questions come to mind...
  1. I was curious if you fine folks at Ampeg are aware of the cult like status the Ampeg VH-140C has become to metalheads worldwide?
  2. Was there ever any talk of rereleasing a VH-140C either as a retro amp or maybe even an updated version aka MKII even?
With all these mini solid state amps hitting market like the ones from boutique amps (Frieman/Bogner/Soldano) I can TOTALLY see the nostalgia for a mini Ampeg VH-140C... Just saying...
:idea
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I can totally see modeling one, but we'd need to find one in good enough condition to get back into perfect condition, but yeah, that's definitely on our radar.

As for developing and releasing a new VH, that's a pretty steep hill to climb, but it's been suggested internally before.
GTR37 said:
If you were stranded in a cable car with Uli B€h®!ng€® high in the Swiss alps for 9 hours, what would you talk about ?
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Oh, probably the weather.
 
Digital Igloo said:
However, if I had a time machine and any pull before hardware was finalized, I would've pushed for:
  • A touchscreen. We'd already done StageScape M20d and Helix is based on its architecture; a touchscreen might've actually been easier to develop at that point. Unfortunately, enough people convinced themselves that customers wouldn't want a touchscreen on the floor, but that a big traditional color LCD might act as a stepping stone, so the next flagship could maybe have a touchscreen. Discussed this publicly years before Headrush.
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I wonder though, given the success of the Helix, if you consider it an advantage today to be able to see some of these new touch devices in use, and leverage that feedback/data for you next gen device.

I agree totally that touchscreens are basically great for scrolling, block assignment/movement, and general preset building, but are a bit crude and imprecise when dialing in specific amp/effect settings. Physical knobs still rule there.

A touch Helix UI, while keeping the scribble strips and the footswitch touch/tap to bring up a block thingy ᵀᴹ would be a pretty amazing as is.
 
Digital Igloo said:
I can totally see modeling one, but we'd need to find one in good enough condition to get back into perfect condition, but yeah, that's definitely on our radar.

As for developing and releasing a new VH, that's a pretty steep hill to climb, but it's been suggested internally before.

Oh, probably the weather.
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Wow that article. I missed that scandal. Wow.
 
la szum said:
So much for German innovation, eh? That guy/corp has made an entire business model out
of "borrowing" other people's ideas/products/designs and .... uhmmm.... rebranding them.
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Yep. Heard / read about that and as a result tend to avoid their products. But they pulled me in with the X-Air XR18 because it was such a great feature set vs price compared to other competitive offerings.

Otherwise I avoid. Still didn’t know about that parody “stunt”. Crazy.
 
Whizzinby said:
I wonder though, given the success of the Helix, if you consider it an advantage today to be able to see some of these new touch devices in use, and leverage that feedback/data for you next gen device.
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I haven't really seen this space utilize touchscreens beyond what people have been doing with HX Edit on touch-equipped Windows machines since early 2016. I'm not suggesting this is the end-all-be-all, but put a Windows tablet running HX Edit on your desk and you effectively have a remote-editable touchscreen Helix. No love for Mac users at this point, unfortunately, unless you use an iPad to control a Mac with HX Edit via Sidecar.

"Leverage" might imply there's something novel or even interesting to learn that wasn't already in our circa-2012 touchscreen Helix design. There really isn't—our touchscreen was obviously used to select/move blocks, swipe lists, name items, etc.
2112 said:
Seeing as YGG owns L6, any chance there will be some legacy SPX series effects ported into the HX at any point? And by that I of course mean the SPX90 Symphonic :D
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Yes, it's been discussed. Yes, it would be extremely cool. I just wish it was faster and easier to share IP with Yamaha; they're a massive organization with their own projects, administration, and goals. And we only have a handful of YGGers who speak fluent Japanese.
 
If the SPX90 Symphonic were in a pedal and that’s all it did was that sound, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. It’d also most certainly get me to finally buy a Stomp, which I’ve debated for years (and almost walked out of GC with the other day when I returned my Hot Rod Deluxe).
 
Digital Igloo said:
I haven't really seen this space utilize touchscreens beyond what people have been doing with HX Edit on touch-equipped Windows machines since early 2016. I'm not suggesting this is the end-all-be-all, but put a Windows tablet running HX Edit on your desk and you effectively have a remote-editable touchscreen Helix. No love for Mac users at this point, unfortunately, unless you use an iPad to control a Mac with HX Edit via Sidecar.

"Leverage" might imply there's something novel or even interesting to learn that wasn't already in our circa-2012 touchscreen Helix design. There really isn't—our touchscreen was obviously used to select/move blocks, swipe lists, name items, etc.
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You said earlier in the thread “Touchscreens can be immensely helpful, but IMO no one's doing it well right now.” What sort of improvements can you see? (Assuming its things you would be comfortable discussing and not part of something next gen for you guys)

At this point it seems like tones are a given, and UI and form factor will be the key differentiators for devices/platforms etc.
 
Whizzinby said:
You said earlier in the thread “Touchscreens can be immensely helpful, but IMO no one's doing it well right now.” What sort of improvements can you see? (Assuming its things you would be comfortable discussing and not part of something next gen for you guys)
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In many cases, the touchscreen is far too relied upon—so much tap-tap-open-tap-tap-close-swipe-swipe-tap-tapping that slows you down in the heat of a gig. Muscle memory and tactile feedback are extremely important for all but the most casual users. I was looking at snagging a Slate Raven controller, but everyone I spoke with ditched it after 6 months—not because it wasn't implemented well, but because mixing on a big TV screen beneath your fingers kinda sucks for any serious, repetitive work.

Of course I have to qualify my statement by reiterating that I have nothing against touchscreens. Touchscreens should simply augment your music making, not insist on being 95% of your workflow's engagement.
At this point it seems like tones are a given, and UI and form factor will be the key differentiators for devices/platforms etc.
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Well, no company'll be successful in 2022 with DX7 interfaces, that's for sure. Even if every multieffect was indistinguishable from the real amps and pedals, if all we had left to differentiate ourselves from one another were UI and form factors... excuse me, I need to go update my CV.

Apparently, the path to success for any MI company is to lift Helix's GUI layout, design language, use of color, signal flow, DSP allocation, snapshot implementation, and footswitch modes... and add a touchscreen. Because, y'know, even though there are hundreds of other elegant methods to accomplish all that stuff, it's gotta be so close to Helix that it makes some people think we licensed our UI out. Hell, we came up with at least a dozen other radically different layouts/design languages for Helix, all of which are an order of magnitude father away from where we landed than what others have "designed" and feigned credit for.

<ahem>

But I will say this: The same ol' Helix with a touchscreen—maybe a bit faster with some minor improvements—would be terribly disappointing. What sort of problems would that solve for musicians? You might get a few extra blocks, and moving blocks on the signal flow would be a bit faster, and naming stuff would be easier. But would you call your friends and say "Holy $#&@, did you see the new Line 6 box?" I sure wouldn't.

We're more interested in solving problems that musicians may not even know they have.
 
Digital Igloo said:
I was looking at snagging a Slate Raven controller, but everyone I spoke with ditched it after 6 months—not because it wasn't implemented well, but because mixing on a big TV screen beneath your fingers kinda sucks for any serious, repetitive work.
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That's what I've always thought about the Raven.
Being immersed into a screen, with your arms raised and forced to move around, with your fingers touching a glass surface all the time, with the heat of the screen in front of you, never seemed a good idea to me.
Also, having your arms on the screen partially cover the screen from your sight. Not a good idea either in a lot of applications.

I'm all for hybrid setups. I mix all day, every day, with a control surface, a tablet, a keyboard and a mouse using each tool for it's strengths.

.
 
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Digital Igloo said:
Apparently, the path to success for any MI company is to lift Helix's GUI layout, design language, use of color, signal flow, DSP allocation, snapshot implementation, and footswitch modes... and add a touchscreen. Because, y'know, even though there are hundreds of other elegant methods to accomplish all that stuff, it's gotta be so close to Helix that it makes some people think we licensed our UI out. Hell, we came up with at least a dozen other radically different layouts/design languages for Helix, all of which are an order of magnitude father away from where we landed than what others have "designed" and feigned credit for.
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Personally this is infuriating, I can't even begin to imagine how it is for a company that invested years on R&D to be ripped off like that, man they didn't even try to conceal anything, it's a 1:1 clone of your IP.

What boggles me is how did that fly with a European company, isn't there some regulations even if the IP is not patented/trademarked?
 
Digital Igloo said:
We're more interested in solving problems that musicians may not even know they have.
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I just love when people solve problems for me that I didn’t knew I had. It’s a nice surprise factor. Much like what Apple sometimes does (not saying Line 6 is anything like Apple) and surprise you with functions you didn’t even thought you’d need.

To this day.. I still occasionally find small things like that in the stomp. I’m re doing my pedal board so the stomp is on a table and I just don’t bother to use Edit for now, during this pedalboard nonsense. Realized I haven’t fully learned to rely on the units Ui and controls, but discovered some new ways to do things that I didn’t knew before.
 
Digital Igloo said:
Replacing the 1/4" Aux In with a second, identical Guitar In with 123dB dynamic range and an impedance circuit.
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Can Line 6 imagine something like the Radial Dragster solution (a load correction device) to complete "good old"Helix ?
(Type " Radial Dragster schematic" in your favorite browser).
 
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Hi @Digital Igloo . Thanks for being open to answer some questions. I'm a Helix LT user from 2020 (purchased 2 days before lockdown lol) and I love how this device has made my life so much easier, as I heavily use fx on my songs.

Three questions:
1- I was so happy with the "along came poly" update, so I could get rid of my EHX Pitch Fork. Now, I'm a King Crimson 80's era fan (I had a Roland GR55 for a while, but it wasn't very comfortable and I sold it), so I wonder if there are plans to use the poly technology with synth blocks.

2- Continuing with poly stuff: should I loose all hope for a poly tuner in the Helix (the only pedal I still keep along with my Helix LT)? I'm aware of the legal issues with Music Tribe, but I wonder if Line6 will ever consider to do as Boss and add it (maybe getting to some license agreement).

3- The new snapshot mode introduced in last update was very helpful, and it came right after thinking of something similar that I posted in IdeaScale: a "snapshot sequence" mode with "infinite" snapshots (perhaps not infinite, but at least more than 8) -> https://line6.ideascale.com/c/idea/1035758/comments/1037300. Do you think this would ever be possible? I think it would make Helix more flexible than ever :)

I'm attaching the "snapshot sequence" concept mockup here, just in case it is deleted on imgur someday.
1663318497744.png
 
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