Helix Stadium Agoura Amps Sneak Peek video

[quadgear]

Is it soup yet?

When are we gonna get there?

 

[bucephalus]

This whole thread is shit soup if that helps

 

[dronerstone]

Tbh, the new engine doesn't induce any hype for me, since Helix amp modeling has been legit all along. The margin by which it's gonna sound "better" is probably getting smaller with each generation.

A new approach? That's cool for sure, but I'm rather interested in the capturing/profiling aspect, which is BIG news in the Helix universe - and I'm confident L6 are gonna nail this one.

Also, the form factor and UI/UX improvements seem like a welcome level-up.

 

[Eagle]

Well for me ;
No rack unit = not buying it.

 

[BenIfin]

Tbh, the new engine doesn't induce any hype for me, since Helix amp modeling has been legit all along. The margin by which it's gonna sound "better" is probably getting smaller with each generation.

A new approach? That's cool for sure, but I'm rather interested in the capturing/profiling aspect, which is BIG news in the Helix universe - and I'm confident L6 are gonna nail this one.

Also, the form factor and UI/UX improvements seem like a welcome level-up.

.

I think there's a lot of legit sense in your post DS. Just talking Axe / Helix / QC .... I think we have been at the point of very diminishing returns for "FW Changes" for a good 2 -3 years now. And even L6 seem (?) to be emphasizing feel and response with the so far limited talk about the Agoura engine - but whatever its going to be, its going to be "more better"

And yep - now that L6 have confirmed there will be a "copying" block, they are not going to f*ck around - they will nail it.

My bet - and I'm willing to put $$ on this - is that this block, when released, will include the ability to make and run "their own system of copying" -and also- have the ability to load and run NAM Captures natively without any conversion ie:- 1:1 perfectly

Having now confirmed this block is coming, and knowing that this new unit will almost certainly be an 8 - 10 year platform, I think it would be just massively dumb of them to exclude native-NAM support .... and one of the many, many things, L6 is not, is dumb :)

 

[dk_ace]

I could not care less about clips. I know how the Helix sounds now. If Agoura models sound like that or better at launch, awesome. I'm in. Stuff's only going to get better as the product matures.

Exactly this.

I don’t understand the desire for clips at all. It’s gonna sound like an amp. The vast majority of players can’t pick helix out from an amp in a blind A/B. There’s nothing to learn in more agoura clips.

D

 

[Mooselake]

Exactly this.

I don’t understand the desire for clips at all. It’s gonna sound like an amp. The vast majority of players can’t pick helix out from an amp in a blind A/B. There’s nothing to learn in more agoura clips.

D

I tend to lean in this direction too. Don't get me wrong, I'll consume clips and demos that feature sound, they just won't have any bearing on my decision, the first phase of which is already made (i.e., already preordered). So it's mostly a fun way to pass the time waiting for units to start shipping.

Maybe we are at the point of diminishing returns, but that's not the same as being at the point it's impossible for individual amp models to sound better, with the caveat that for me better and having higher fidelity to a given instance of a "real" amp aren't necessarily the same thing. I'm intrigued by the feel aspect of the new modeling, so maybe reviews by trusted voices will be of more value, but it really comes down to what happens when you yourself plug into one. I suppose I understand the desire for clips/demos, just don't see them as relevant for my decision process.

That said, the folks at Line 6 had to have anticipated that in the universe of gear junkies, announcing several months early would create a large appetite for more information, and for many people some evidence that parting with roughly a couple thousand bucks is desirable. Despite the really cool productivity/utility features, it ultimately comes down to sound. I'm sure some impromptu sound examples (rather than fully produced mixes) will show up at some time. Won't matter at all to me, won't stop people rendering judgement for or against it despite the questionable utility of such material for that purpose, but it should ease the angst a little. Maybe.

 

[EOengineer]

The push for clips comes from a place of love, misguided or not. There are countless users who’ve spent a decade with the current devices, are passionate about the platform, and are excited to consume any and all information they can get about a new generation of technology that is both unavailable and currently shrouded in a fair bit of mystery.

Will I heavily weigh clips when determining whether to hang on to my preorder? No. Am I extremely curious and interested in hearing solo clips of the new engine? Absolutely.

This thing is still several months out, clips are pretty much the only option until release.

 

[GTR37]

The push for clips comes from a place of love, misguided or not. There are countless users who’ve spent a decade with the current devices, are passionate about the platform, and are excited to consume any and all information they can get about a new generation of technology that is both unavailable and currently shrouded in a fair bit of mystery.

Will I heavily weigh clips when determining whether to hang on to my preorder? No. Am I extremely curious and interested in hearing solo clips of the new engine? Absolutely.

This thing is still several months out, clips are pretty much the only option until release.

As I said prior I think people like familiarity
Many probably want to hear that dry clip of a plexi playing big open AC/DC chords
Or the Fender doing a SRV
Or JCM doing the MSG armed and ready riff Leon Todd loves
People hear something they recognize or a style and go yep that’s a JCM
In fact even Igloo said as much he heard a few big open chords of the Agoura model and thought why did someone bring a JCM800 out

.. many will still complain I am sure either way

 

[mikah912]

As I said prior I think people like familiarity
Many probably want to hear that dry clip of a plexi playing big open AC/DC chords
Or the Fender doing a SRV
Or JCM doing the MSG armed and ready riff Leon Todd loves
People hear something they recognize or a style and go yep that’s a JCM
In fact even Igloo said as much he heard a few big open chords of the Agoura model and thought why did someone bring a JCM800 out

.. many words will still complain I am sure either way

Thing is, Paul Hindmarsh has done a ton of "Sound Samples" videos on the official Line 6 official channel over the past 10 years. He did them for launch, specific firmwares and also derivative products like HXFX.

Pretty sure no minds were changed and no one pointed to them as definitive proof that Helix had made engine improvements or cab engine tweaks or whatever.

I highly doubt any official Stadium video will be different. It's going to be the influencer-ati - your Leon Todd, Sonic Drive Studio, Cordy, Worship Tutorials, etc. that will help really shape public opinion here.

 

[molul]

As long as it's not a hugely pretentious short film like this, I'm fine:

 

[GTR37]

As long as it's not a hugely pretentious short film like this, I'm fine:

FFS seriously again ?
Apologize on one post about being behind but blow budgets on movie shorts

 

[mikah912]

FFS seriously again ?
Apologize on one post about being behind but blow budgets on movie shorts

As you said, that is the one product line they still seem to be on track with. Can't hate them putting marketing muscle behind it.

 

[Sleezy E]

with Helix OG we had airplane analogies.. these new soup analogies just aren't landing right...

 

[molul]

As you said, that is the one product line they still seem to be on track with. Can't hate them putting marketing muscle behind it.

Putting marketing muscle on a product is good, but a video like this makes me think that marketing team is abusing cocaine. Who wants to see 17 MINUTES of THAT? And who gets hyped to buy a modeler with THAT?

I dunno, maybe QC users really like that kind of marketing, but I just find it pretentious over 9000. It's like a parody of Apple. Except it's serious

 

[GTR37]

Putting marketing muscle on a product is good, but a video like this makes me think that marketing team is abusing cocaine. Who wants to see 17 MINUTES of THAT? And who gets hyped to buy a modeler with THAT?

I dunno, maybe QC users really like that kind of marketing, but I just find it pretentious over 9000. It's like a parody of Apple. Except it's serious

100% agree and it costs time and money , it’s a waste of your budget IMO

 

[mikah912]

Putting marketing muscle on a product is good, but a video like this makes me think that marketing team is abusing cocaine. Who wants to see 17 MINUTES of THAT? And who gets hyped to buy a modeler with THAT?

I dunno, maybe QC users really like that kind of marketing, but I just find it pretentious over 9000. It's like a parody of Apple. Except it's serious

I think it's strictly to satisfy the ego of the marketing team (and maybe Doug). There's no way that you can objectively document attribution or ROI to a vanity piece like that. As we say in my business, that's a brand awareness move.

On the other end of the spectrum, Line 6 is killing it with these small "tour" videos. Just a steady drip of information that's sustaining interest in the product beyond the buzzy announcement. I expect one or two of the next ones to "tour" Focus mode on specific amps, and that is where I believe we will hear our first isolated clips.

 

[molul]

I think it's strictly to satisfy the ego of the marketing team (and maybe Doug). There's no way that you can objectively document attribution or ROI to a vanity piece like that. As we say in my business, that's a brand awareness move.

It reminds me of Silicon Valley TV show, when all companies claimed that their goal was making the world a better place (it wasn't, it never is; it's making money, and that's fine!), and many times for reasons that made no sense but just because it sounds good.

On the other end of the spectrum, Line 6 is killing it with these small "tour" videos. Just a steady drip of information that's sustaining interest in the product beyond the buzzy announcement. I expect one or two of the next ones to "tour" Focus mode on specific amps, and that is where I believe we will hear our first isolated clips.

Exactly. In this age of social media fake lifestyle and endless hyperbole in YouTube, watching a company just showing their (good) stuff, without superfluous literature and shameful manipulation attempts, is a breath of fresh air that I at least appreciate a lot.

 

[GTR37]

It reminds me of Silicon Valley TV show, when all companies claimed that their goal was making the world a better place (it wasn't, it never is; it's making money, and that's fine!), and many times for reasons that made no sense but just because it sounds good.


Exactly. In this age of social media fake lifestyle and endless hyperbole in YouTube, watching a company just showing their (good) stuff, without superfluous literature and shameful manipulation attempts, is a breath of fresh air that I at least appreciate a lot.

If I was igloo I would do a series of one minute clips of each individual amp and release one a week instead of all at once
That would be 16 weeks of content lol and the guys going where is the metal 5153 would lose there minds

 

[Digital Igloo]

If I was igloo I would do a series of one minute clips of each individual amp and release one a week instead of all at once
That would be 16 weeks of content lol and the guys going where is the metal 5153 would lose there minds

You make it sound like I have any input on what Marketing does other than "I dunno, guys..."