Helix Talk

[Sascha Franck]

I have a question for you fellow helix/hx owners, do you think L6 are withholding innvoations for their next flagship?

As pretty much all companies do, I can't see a reason why L6 wouldn't. Perhaps we'll get some "teasing" within the current generation, with the full shebang to follow with new hardware. Kinda like Apple does it.

 

[molul]

I'm conflicted on this. I've had great fun playing with the Helix for years, and yet every time I plug into Archetype Plini or Neural Amp Modeler I'm amazed at how easily the tones come compared to my constant tweaking in the Helix. I'm also a kitchen sink preset and ambient/P&W player, so I like my big washy sounds and extensive stacked effects, and the Helix does this as good as any of the competition, especially with parameter assignments and snapshots. I just wish the amp models just sang a bit easier like they do on some other products.

I'm curious about that easy dialing some people mention. I wonder if Line6 could level the Helix with that by adding some "easy mode" or something to the amps.

 

[CakeEater]

I'm curious about that easy dialing some people mention. I wonder if Line6 could level the Helix with that by adding some "easy mode" or something to the amps.

I think it goes beyond dialing in tones, I spent a long time matching the Placater to the Plini Crunch amp using the same audio interface, IR etc. I could get to the point where if I'd strum chord they'd sound essentially the same, but the effect of a compressor, a drive pedal, rolling up or down the volume or tone knobs on the guitar, digging in harder, they were all just more complimentary on the Plini Crunch amp.

 

[holoholo]

Is it just me or has it been really quiet lately from Line 6 and co? Usually there's hype building into a firmware release. It's been an awfully quiet summer

Edit: nvm I just remembered James said this a week ago lol

 

[ragingplatypi]

I have a question for you fellow helix/hx owners, do you think L6 are withholding innvoations for their next flagship?

I love Line 6 products (the good ones) and I am ready to buy their next flagship on a whim because I know they gathered enough information to leave the copycats in the dust.

Certainly they are because that’s just business.

However, my variation on that question is do they feel like they have something special?

I can’t imagine how hard it would be to follow up the HX line, because the expectation is set (unrealistically) high.

 

[HomespunEffects]

I think that some of the questions that were skirted by DI are a clue to what’s in the works.

 

[ragingplatypi]

I would love fo see them elevate the powered speaker game.

 

[James Freeman]

Want in next thing;
* Modern DSP
* Infinite routing <- this will put Line 6 way ahead.
* No expression
* No joystick
* A different approach to modeling and updating existing models. Versionning is a solution nobidy implemented yet.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Want in next thing:
* Global Blocks
* Mobile OS Editor

Will not even consider buying without those (true for any programmable modeler of any company).

 

[the swede]

Versionning

 

[James Freeman]

Let me explain,
Instead of telling the age old story of "we can't change/fix the model because some people like/use it" for the Nth time, add versions of the model and everyone's happy, that solves a lot of bitching on both ends.
Same story in Fractal world, some people really liked a preliminary broken version of the model that existed only in beta, that solves it too.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Want in next thing;
* Modern DSP
* Infinite routing <- this will put Line 6 way ahead.
* No expression
* No joystick
* A different approach to modeling and updating existing models. Versionning is a solution nobidy implemented yet.

what is infinite routing?

and would these be things that would make people rush out to buy one?

 

[James Freeman]

what is infinite routing?

No grid, or a very not-limiting grid and branching.
ie. as much as the cpu/dsp allows.

 

[2dor]

No grid, or a very not-limiting grid and branching.
ie. as much as the cpu/dsp allows.

Gig-Performer style - that'd be cool indeed

 

[Sascha Franck]

More things I want:
- Modifiers. Input Level, LFOs, Envelopes. For a start.
- Proper filters - not just an umpteenth version of whatever crappy auto/touch-filter whatever company came up with. I want the synth-y goods!

With just these two, synth-ish sounds should be pretty easy to realize already.

It'll only get better with EHX POG/HOG style pitch FX. So let's have those, too.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

No grid, or a very not-limiting grid and branching.
ie. as much as the cpu/dsp allows.

I think something I would like to see (honestly across all modellers) would be layout presets. So while you can have the freedom to route things anywhere, having some pre-made starting points would save so much boring work.

- sometimes I want stereo in->stereo out

- sometimes I want mono in, several fx loops with their own returns, complex outputs

- sometimes it might be 4CM

- all kinds of routing for gigs where an IR and amp DI need to be split, or wet and dry go to their own outputs, or dual rig set ups, or multiple musicians etc

On top of that, I’d love proper preset handling for each block. Fractals blocks libraries is the closest we have and IMO it’s far from perfect.

I generally hate presets for just copying someone else’s tone, but they are very useful to save time in building your own. I don’t think many people are approaching presets with this in mind, when it’s a much better way of using them.

 

[the swede]

Let me explain,
Instead of telling the age old story of "we can't change/fix the model because some people like/use it" for the Nth time, add versions of the model and everyone's happy, that solves a lot of bitching on both ends.
Same story in Fractal world, some people really liked a preliminary broken version of the model that existed only in beta, that solves it too.

Oh. Makes sense… Fractal already does that from my understanding. Guess that’s the only way.

I look forward to see Henning say “why line 6 is there 1000 gazilion amps in here, why line 6”.

Honestly there’s some good reasoning behind that too, because I strongly relate to the options paralysis dilemma. I have problems with that, that’s why I sold my stomp and tried the Pod Go and realized I can’t hide from it. Sold pod Go to and stop playing guitar for a year (still haven’t come back yet because I’m afraid basically).

Anyhow… yes. I think you’re right, at least for the high end flagship stuff.

 

[CakeEater]

Oh. Makes sense… Fractal already does that from my understanding. Guess that’s the only way.

I look forward to see Henning say “why line 6 is there 1000 gazilion amps in here, why line 6”.

Honestly there’s some good reasoning behind that too, because I strongly relate to the options paralysis dilemma. I have problems with that, that’s why I sold my stomp and tried the Pod Go and realized I can’t hide from it. Sold pod Go to and stop playing guitar for a year (still haven’t come back yet because I’m afraid basically).

Anyhow… yes. I think you’re right, at least for the high end flagship stuff.

This is actually where the NDSP Plugins suit best, in particular Plini X, 1 cab, 3 amps of graduating gain, a few simple pedals, tidy stand-alone app, you'll run out of things to tweak pretty quickly.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I think something I would like to see (honestly across all modellers) would be layout presets.

There's plenty of them for the HX family. I saved some of my own, too.

 

[CakeEater]

QOL Improvements for the existing Helix:

• Stereo-Delay Scale-Feedback compensation: On all delays to stop the left trail being longer than the right, R-feedback = L-feedback/scale%
• Authentic/Accurate switch for the Elephant Man Time parameter so the doubled time-divisions are optional
• Authentic/Accurate switch for the 70's Chorus so that it still sounds good at low input volumes
• Sticky mic position in the cab block, so I can scroll through cabs with the same configuration
• Power Amp section so that we can route Pre-amp > Send > Post-amp, or Pre-amp > FX > Post-Amp
• Global blocks: so that my amp tweaks apply across all the presets they're used on, possibly favourites auto-save.