Helix Talk

[pablo retamal]

do you know how fucking hot the stomp gets tho??

That's the reason l6 wouldn't push it further!

 

[the swede]

That's the reason l6 wouldn't push it further!

Push it forward could still mean changing things. 6 vs 8 blocks for example didn’t change the DSP restrictions. It just meant you’d se greyed out effects easier/sooner when making a preset.

So they could still change a lot of things without the unit being driven harder, keeping the rules and restrictions for the dsp. Just means we would be able to use up all dsp allowed to use sooner.

That’s where the other factor comes in. Line 6 doesn’t want its majority of users to see greyed out stuff.

 

[Sascha Franck]

That's the reason l6 wouldn't push it further!

No. Heat defenitely isn't a reason for the 8 block limit.

 

[pipelineaudio]

Ok you are right. It’s worse than crippleware.

 

[Antipodes]

No. Heat defenitely isn't a reason for the 8 block limit.

Clock speed limits are often about keeping the hardware inside a given thermal envelope - so clocking above a certain speed is out. I get what you mean though - DSP limits are the simple explanation.

 

[pipelineaudio]

If its the same chip its not DSP limits. And heat is a problem engineering has dealt with forever. The screen stuff is usually given as the real argument and its valid. But its like the FCB1010 or the Tonex. We don;t all care about screen anything. Many of us program that stuff on the computer thru USB. I'd love a tiny box I could do that with.

In HX One's case, its really pretty cripplewarey

 

[Sascha Franck]

DSP limits are the simple explanation.

No, this entire discussion isn't about DSP limits at all. I have plenty of patches that I could easily expand very well within the Stomp's DSP limitations but can't because of the block limitation. 2 loops, a volume block and two utility EQs would be what I'd like to use in some patches. They're all using next to no DSP juice but being left with just 3 blocks for the real stuff is not enough.

 

[Antipodes]

No, this entire discussion isn't about DSP limits at all. I have plenty of patches that I could easily expand very well within the Stomp's DSP limitations but can't because of the block limitation. 2 loops, a volume block and two utility EQs would be what I'd like to use in some patches. They're all using next to no DSP juice but being left with just 3 blocks for the real stuff is not enough.

I agree that the routing functions (loop/splits etc) and maybe the simple things like volume controls should not occupy blocks on the HX line or FX slots on the KPA for that matter.

 

[James Freeman]

No. Heat defenitely isn't a reason for the 8 block limit.

Right, I can maximize the DSP with only 3 blocks (Poly Pitch, Das Benzin Lead, Compulsive Drive) but I don't use the Stomp like that, I use it to add/replace effects on my pedalboard (ie. no Amp models) of which the Stomp can easily do 16 blocks (or more).
I too think it is limited by design and the reason is not how small the UI is because in split path there are already two rows on the screen.

Even dual path for two instruments on separate paths is doable on the Stomp using FX Send/Return as the second in/out.
For example, dual path on the Floor on one DSP;

Dual path on the Stomp;

 

[Orvillain]

They have a product aimed specifically at effects. HX Effects, it is a little bigger however.

 

[James Freeman]

Received my XL, it's small, takes the space of 4 Boss pedals.
The power supply is very clean, noise floor figure is fantastic.

With 8 blocks I can replace my entire top row (modulation+time) including the Strymons and add an Amp sim + IR, great for the size.
I still think that to use the XL as a complete pedalboard replacement one has to be clever about Presets and Snapshots, so a Preset per song/tone.
That's a DIY 24" x 12.5" board like a Pedaltrain Classic 2 (I prefer flat pedalboards with no rail holes and no velcro).


I am quite pleased with the purchase, it will get used more than my old Helix because it is small, light, and can be on a desktop, on a chair, integrated on a pedalboard, or just anywhere it can be carried to and placed on, very convenient.
Plus, I'm curious what's in the next update.

 

[CakeEater]

There are very few quality of life updates left for me in the Helix. One, however, would be to get a new switch on the Elephant Man to toggle between Authentic and True note synchronisation. Right now if you set the Elephant Man to 1/4 notes, anything below 120 BPM will become an 1/8 notes, and this scales up and down with the other time signatures.

This is accurate, which is fine, and sometimes I have a use for it because I don't necessarily like long, drawn-out repeats. Still though, it would be nice to have those 1/4s and 1/8s when I want them, and not have them turn into 1/8ths and 1/16ths respectively.

This is already done on the 70s Chorus for the stereo parameter, so it wouldn’t be out of keeping.

 

[holoholo]

Received my XL, it's small, takes the space of 4 Boss pedals.
The power supply is very clean, noise floor figure is fantastic.

With 8 blocks I can replace my entire top row (modulation+time) including the Strymons and add an Amp sim + IR, great for the size.
I still think that to use the XL as a complete pedalboard replacement one has to be clever about Presets and Snapshots, so a Preset per song/tone.
That's a DIY 24" x 12.5" board like a Pedaltrain Classic 2 (I prefer flat pedalboards with no rail holes and no velcro).
View attachment 25477

I am quite pleased with the purchase, it will get used more than my old Helix because it is small, light, and can be on a desktop, on a chair, integrated on a pedalboard, or just anywhere it can be carried to and placed on, very convenient.
Plus, I'm curious what's in the next update.

I've hammered this for awhile but I still think the Stomp XL is the goat form factor. Like you said small enough to be on pedalboard, desktop. Can also use as a sole fly rig and not feel limited by the number of switches.

 

[James Freeman]

crippleware

In my opinion Line 6 had a clear idea what the Stomp is and isn't, but they are slowly lifting the breaks off that if enough people request it.
The best example is Command Center and 8 blocks for Stomp which was included in 3.0 in 2020, two years after launch.

Can the Stomp do 16 blocks and 8 snapshots?, most definitely Yes, but it is still in the "What Stomp isn't" category.

 

[TubeStack]

I've settled into:

- Helix Floor as complete pedalboard replacement in 4cm + vocal treatment with my band

- HX One + Stomp in 4cm at home or as a smaller board for taking out when needed (also has a Keeley Fuzz Head and mini wah)

Very happy with these two setups and the size of each is perfect for the related use case. Particularly love the size of the Floor for live use.

 

[dronerstone]

Used tempo-track-tied automated switching in Cubase with Native for the first time today.

How did I even live without it before...?

Piece of cake to figure out, and a real breeze to play, almost too easy and like a videogame. Damn, so much fun!

 

[Sleezy E]

Used tempo-track-tied automated switching in Cubase with Native for the first time today.

How did I even live without it before...?

Piece of cake to figure out, and a real breeze to play, almost too easy and like a videogame. Damn, so much fun!

Automation with native is super fun. I've used it to enable flangers, chorus and all sorts of shenanigans

 

[Sascha Franck]

More on IRs and HXE/HXN compatibility: You'll be getting an error in case the used IR isn't in the same slot when dragging IR blocks or entire patches between HXE and HXE. I always thought this was solved some FW revisions back, but apparently it only is as long as you stay within either HXE or HXN.
Seriously, the entire IR issue is as bad as it get's and I defenitely can't understand how something this trivial can go so wrong for such a long time. Yes, trivial! After all there's gazillions of plugins dealing with gazillions of samples, most of them doing absolutely fine relocating missing samples and in the HXverse not even a single missing sample can be properly relocated after 9 (yes, nine!) years.

 

[James Freeman]

Ubiquitous Vibe.

 

[EOengineer]

Ubiquitous Vibe.

Interesting. What type of vibe tones are you using?

I can’t seem to get anything out of my Helix vibe options that comes close to the gooey vibe of my Fulltone Deja Vibe. In fact I typically use the Harmonic Tremolo for my vibe needs.