Helix Stadium Desktop and AxeFx IV Desktop

[ChordInversion]

Inevitably a tradeoff. Scribble strips add considerably to size and cost, and they only add value (proportionately) in specific contexts. In the desktop context we're discussing here, not so much (IMO).

I agree. The digital Dymo labels (I do not use the term of art, as we do not in fact 'scribble' on them) are not of much value to me. Too far away from my eyes when they're on the floor, and not of much added value on a desk. I use the color coding of the switch lights for the same purpose (again something the base Stadium has to my liking). But I accept that for many players, those labels add value.

 

[mbenigni]

...and then Fractal, Line 6, and Fender all have better built-in power supplies with an IEC on their flagship modelers.

HX Stomp is a tiny pedal meant to go on a board. Not what I'd consider the same thing.

I think that's really all there is to it, though. The QC was expensive - very expensive. People opened the box and saw a cheap-looking wall wart and got their hackles up. It doesn't look the part of a high-end studio piece.

But beyond that? It's kind of a nothing burger, really. I plugged it in, it worked, and I never thought about it again. (Except when I put a QC on a pedalboard and it was really easy to switch to battery power... because it wasn't AC over IEC.)

 

[ian_dissonance]

Don’t look at the Boss PSU, lol.

 

[Whizzinby]

Too much I/O is a thing? Desktop is the one and only place I find myself wanting for more I/O... pretty much all the time. (And my studio is WAAAAAY simpler than yours.)

Yeah, this is where I start to get lost on what this hypothetical device is. Desktop seems to imply a studio or home recording setup, where IO is precious. Which leads us right back to the rack units already available. I don’t know about the Helix Rack dimensions, but the AxeFX is 19x11x5 and fits in a shallow rack case. I had mine hidden under a table for 6 months almost completely out of site. The idea of it being “bulky” just doesn’t resonate, particularly in the guitar world, where genuinely bulky gear (amps and cabs) ruled the world for decades.

If anything this all seems to be addressed with a tablet editor, or maybe even a cool device specific first party midi controller.

I agree about the QC. Of all the floor modelers I’ve tried, the QC is the only one that didn’t feel completely out of place on a desktop.

 

[mbenigni]

Don’t look at the Boss PSU, lol.

Which Boss PSU? Never mind; let me guess: looks cheap, adds noise (allegedly), and magically spreads botulism amongst the unwashed masses?

 

[paisleywookiee]

I think that's really all there is to it, though. The QC was expensive - very expensive. People opened the box and saw a cheap-looking wall wart and got their hackles up. It doesn't look the part of a high-end studio piece.

But beyond that? It's kind of a nothing burger, really. I plugged it in, it worked, and I never thought about it again. (Except when I put a QC on a pedalboard and it was really easy to switch to battery power... because it wasn't AC over IEC.)

Eh, I've seen hundreds of power supplies just like that fail over the past couple decades. Not something I'd be happy receiving for my $1700 modeler.

 

[mbenigni]

Yeah, this is where I start to get lost on what this hypothetical device is. Desktop seems to imply a studio or home recording setup, where IO is precious. Which leads us right back to the rack units already available. I don’t know about the Helix Rack dimensions, but the AxeFX is 19x11x5 and fits in a shallow rack case. I had mine hidden under a table for 6 months almost completely out of site. The idea of it being “bulky” just doesn’t resonate, particularly in the guitar world, where genuinely bulky gear (amps and cabs) ruled the world for decades.

If anything this all seems to be addressed with a tablet editor, or maybe even a cool device specific first party midi controller.

I agree about the QC. Of all the floor modelers I’ve tried, the QC is the only one that didn’t feel completely out of place on a desktop.

It all boils down to the extent to which editing on-device is uniquely desirable. A rackable unit conventionally has a lot less real estate exposed for its UI. If a tablet editor works out to be just as enjoyable as the hardware UX, then honestly any Stadium SKU would suffice - just put it somewhere out of the way. (Notably, the rack version does not exist yet, and may never exist.) As for a cool device specific 1st party controller... It sounds wonderful, but this in addition to the cost of the Stadium itself would probably deter most buyers.

 

[ChordInversion]

Eh, I've seen hundreds of power supplies just like that fail over the past couple decades. Not something I'd be happy receiving for my $1700 modeler.

Yeah, and it's such a weird choice of an item to cheap out on at that price.

 

[mbenigni]

Eh, I've seen hundreds of power supplies just like that fail over the past couple decades. Not something I'd be happy receiving for my $1700 modeler.

Hundreds?? That's a bad run, man.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Sorry man, this is just a shit power supply.

View attachment 56228

You're right, it's not like current laptop power supplies. It's worse. It's like a laptop power supply from 2010. Macs and Windows laptops generally now have better power supplies, and then Fractal, Line 6, and Fender all have better built-in power supplies with an IEC on their flagship modelers.

HX Stomp is a tiny pedal meant to go on a board. Not what I'd consider the same thing.

What exactly makes it shit? I remember all sorts of stuff about noise, etc., but never cared enough to figure out if that was power supply or inherent flaw in unit itself.

I hate the HX Stomp PS with a passion for all the reasons outlined above. I will never understand why anyone would make a unit with anything other than standard sized center-negative power -- I leant my Volante to a teacher who didn't realize that Line 6 was an anomaly and totally fried the Volante trying to plug his L6 PS into it...$100 repair from Strymon. So even if I want to replace the ludicrously sized/shaped PS that comes with the Stomp, I've gotta be careful with my options and/or attached dongles to cables of a regular power supply. And be careful about who is using my gear at that point.

The PS that comes with the AM4 is nice -- compact enough not to eat up anymore power strip real estate than necessary; also compact enough to pretty easily mount under a pedal board alongside a standard power supply and use a courtesy outlet/cable to drive it.

If the QC power supply issue is easily rectified by replacing the power supply, I'd say its one step ahead of the Stomp because at least then you wind up with a quality standard power supply that isn't going to cause headaches, and one step behind AM4 because it comes with a decent power supply.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Hundreds?? That's a bad run, man.

Over 25 years of supporting thousands of laptops?

What exactly makes it shit? I remember all sorts of stuff about noise, etc., but never cared enough to figure out if that was power supply or inherent flaw in unit itself.

I hate the HX Stomp PS with a passion for all the reasons outlined above. I will never understand why anyone would make a unit with anything other than standard sized center-negative power -- I leant my Volante to a teacher who didn't realize that Line 6 was an anomaly and totally fried the Volante trying to plug his L6 PS into it...$100 repair from Strymon. So even if I want to replace the ludicrously sized/shaped PS that comes with the Stomp, I've gotta be careful with my options and/or attached dongles to cables of a regular power supply. And be careful about who is using my gear at that point.

The PS that comes with the AM4 is nice -- compact enough not to eat up anymore power strip real estate than necessary; also compact enough to pretty easily mount under a pedal board alongside a standard power supply and use a courtesy outlet/cable to drive it.

If the QC power supply issue is easily rectified by replacing the power supply, I'd say its one step ahead of the Stomp because at least then you wind up with a quality standard power supply that isn't going to cause headaches, and one step behind AM4 because it comes with a decent power supply.

Well, it's not grounded, for one. It's a cheap POS MIC power supply that unfortunately runs 12v with 3 amps, which means you can't easily use it with just any pedalboard power supply. Ciocks seems to be the main one, but it leaves out a lot of others. Those barrel connectors can and do fail.
At least with the HX Stomp it's as easy as a $8 cable for your Voodoo Lab, Strymon, Truetone, etc. power supply.

EDIT

Wow. Golden Profit AC adapter. That screams reliability to me.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Too much I/O is a thing? Desktop is the one and only place I find myself wanting for more I/O... pretty much all the time. (And my studio is WAAAAAY simpler than yours.)

Lots of I/O is great, but having looms of cables all over the desk going in different directions isn’t the one. I love the AxeFX specifically because it has so much I/O but it’s also exactly the reason I want it racked up neatly and out of the way. I had the FM-3 on my desk for a while and the cabling on that was so messy for that use.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Over 25 years of supporting thousands of laptops?

Well, it's not grounded, for one. It's a cheap POS MIC power supply that unfortunately runs 12v with 3 amps, which means you can't easily use it with just any pedalboard power supply. Ciocks seems to be the main one, but it leaves out a lot of others. Those barrel connectors can and do fail.
At least with the HX Stomp it's as easy as a $8 cable for your Voodoo Lab, Strymon, Truetone, etc. power supply.

EDIT

View attachment 56230

Wow. Golden Profit AC adapter. That screams reliability to me.

Aaaaaah, I didn't realize the power-requirements. Given the number of folks that are using this as a "desktop modeler" way, using an external power supply proooobably still makes sense, but 3 amp draw for pedalboard use definitely gets into the "uh, the size power supply I'm going to have to put under this board now pretty well negates any benefit to not including an internal power supply."

 

[paisleywookiee]

Aaaaaah, I didn't realize the power-requirements. Given the number of folks that are using this as a "desktop modeler" way, using an external power supply proooobably still makes sense, but 3 amp draw for pedalboard use definitely gets into the "uh, the size power supply I'm going to have to put under this board now pretty well negates any benefit to not including an internal power supply."

That's my point. I'm not saying the QC is a turd, I just think the non-grounded $25 power supply is a glaringly cheap thing for a $1700 modeler. Had they made it a little large to accommodate a better, internal power supply, I'd have no issue with it. There are as many people on @mbenigni 's point of view as there seems to be for mine. Just an opinion.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

That's my point. I'm not saying the QC is a turd, I just think the non-grounded $25 power supply is a glaringly cheap thing for a $1700 modeler. Had they made it a little large to accommodate a better, internal power supply, I'd have no issue with it. There are as many people on @mbenigni 's point of view as there seems to be for mine. Just an opinion.

Honestly, I don't care toooooo much about the "quality" of the provided PS on...anything, because I assume I will replace it for one reason or another. I'm more concerned about overall choices made in how the thing gets power (internal vs. external; polarity/size of barrel if external; whether a power switch is included, etc.)

 

[Jarick]

Desktop only units are probably too niche. You need a separate controller for live use and it doesn't fit into a rack for studio use. You need a really good onboard UI which takes space and costs money. I just can't see it being nearly as profitable as either a pedalboard, floor board, or rack unit.

 

[Jarick]

That's my point. I'm not saying the QC is a turd, I just think the non-grounded $25 power supply is a glaringly cheap thing for a $1700 modeler. Had they made it a little large to accommodate a better, internal power supply, I'd have no issue with it. There are as many people on @mbenigni 's point of view as there seems to be for mine. Just an opinion.

It's definitely possible to have a much better small power supply. The cable is thin, flimsy, and feels brittle and stiff. Even a half decent laptop power supply has more rugged leads without a wall wart.

 

[ChordInversion]

Desktop only units are probably too niche. You need a separate controller for live use and it doesn't fit into a rack for studio use. You need a really good onboard UI which takes space and costs money. I just can't see it being nearly as profitable as either a pedalboard, floor board, or rack unit.

Yeah, all very likely true. Which is a bummer for me, but I get it. No use in grousing about it.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Which Boss PSU? Never mind; let me guess: looks cheap, adds noise (allegedly), and magically spreads botulism amongst the unwashed masses?

No noise issues, but it feels like it came with a GPX discman from 1999. The Stomp PSU was the same garbage the HD series had, right?

 

[bucephalus]

I think the Quad Cortex absolutely nailed the perfect form factor. 11 footswitches that are also dials, a big knob, and a touch screen, in a device about a foot wide. Perfection.

Shame about the rest of it all really.