Helix Talk

The things I want in the new Helix:
  1. Quad Cortex form size
  2. More accurate amps and amp channels (there are still many missing channels and modes of amps such as VH4 and Dual Rectifier)
  3. Different revisions of the existing amps
  4. The ability of changing the power amp tubes, toggling the bright cap on/off etc.
  5. Gapless switching
  6. Global blocks
  7. More DSP
  8. More flexible routing
  9. Better converters and headphone amp
  10. Touch screen and rotary footswitches
  11. iOS and Android compatibility
It's funny that Fractal already offers almost all of what I would want from the new flagship of Line 6.

Line 6 think their users are different from Fractal users and they always try to keep themselves apart from Fractal. However, they are both amp/fx modellers in the end and Fractal does it better in many regards in my opinion. I would definitely save up more money to buy an Axe FX 3 or FM 9 if they were sold on Thomann, Anderton's and Sweetwater.
 
contrario said:
The things I want in the new Helix:
  1. Quad Cortex form size
  2. More accurate amps and amp channels (there are still many missing channels and modes of amps such as VH4 and Dual Rectifier)
  3. Different revisions of the existing amps
  4. The ability of changing the power amp tubes, toggling the bright cap on/off etc.
  5. Gapless switching
  6. Global blocks
  7. More DSP
  8. More flexible routing
  9. Better converters and headphone amp
  10. Touch screen and rotary footswitches
  11. iOS and Android compatibility
It's funny that Fractal already offers almost all of what I would want from the new flagship of Line 6.

Line 6 think their users are different from Fractal users and they always try to keep themselves apart from Fractal. However, they are both amp/fx modellers in the end and Fractal does it better in many regards in my opinion. I would definitely save up more money to buy an Axe FX 3 or FM 9 if they were sold on Thomann, Anderton's and Sweetwater.
Click to expand...
I suspect they’ll address most of those points.
Smaller and more powerful is not avoidable for them now, regardless of how stubborn they might be. There’s also the “greater will” now (Yamaha) that might have opinions on how they should approach a new line of products.
Imagine they’ve been cooking up stuff, probably pre Yamaha. And now.. well. I’d pay a travel ticket to their office just to sit in on those product ideas meetings. Haha!
 
contrario said:
The things I want in the new Helix:
  1. Quad Cortex form size
  2. More accurate amps and amp channels (there are still many missing channels and modes of amps such as VH4 and Dual Rectifier)
  3. Different revisions of the existing amps
  4. The ability of changing the power amp tubes, toggling the bright cap on/off etc.
  5. Gapless switching
  6. Global blocks
  7. More DSP
  8. More flexible routing
  9. Better converters and headphone amp
  10. Touch screen and rotary footswitches
  11. iOS and Android compatibility
Click to expand...

We all want the Fractal Cortex ;)
 
I just want more DSP and some cool control modulators like Boss has had for 20 years. I’m never disappointed with the sounds that come out of the Helix unless it’s because I’m playing poorly.
 
ian_dissonance said:
I’m never disappointed with the sounds that come out of the Helix
Click to expand...

Same here. Soundwise, I'm almost perfectly happy, the only things I'm missing being, as said, better filters and polyphonic pitch shifting (POG/HOG style) for some wannabe synth-ish stuff. But pretty much all basic sounds are covered more than well enough IMO.
For me, it's all about new/better editing options and a whole bunch of housekeeping things.
 
Exp pedal could be a separate addon. I can live without it, as I only use it as volume pedal, and lately I just mute the output on a snapshot on several songs. It would be great if the tuner could be instantly enabled with an option so I wouldn't need to use a snapshot for that.
 
ian_dissonance said:
Sure, but the last $10 of manufacturing costs isn’t going to change the retail price, it just increases their margin.
Click to expand...
Sure, if we end up with a $10 discount from the factory, we won't typically lower the price, although it would probably allow us to run promotions more often or for longer. (However, we did move manufacturing from China to Malaysia for some products, which lowered our cost, which let us return to pre-COVID street pricing.)

A surprise $10 ex-factory increase might not affect the retail price of a higher end product that's already been launched (unless it was very affordable), but an extra $10 before launch might indeed affect the street price. And it certainly wouldn't cost the user an extra $10—more like $30-80, depending on the company's target margin, run rate, or any number of other things. A buddy of mine sells a pedal for $99 but their ex-factory (including packaging) is only $12-13. It seems like that margin might be super high, but it has to pay for salaries, rent, utilities, shipping, tariffs, business taxes, server costs, legal costs, cloud storage, marketing, the coffee machine, etc. They don't move many thousands of units, however; if they did, the price would likely be far less than $99 and they'd be happy with a much lower margin.

This stuff is typically figured out backwards tho'. YGG settles on a target street price and based on that, an ex-factory target. If we can't hit that target, we either rip out features/functions (most always hardware-related) until we can—or raise the product's price, begrudgingly.

Also, price perception is a huge thing. If we want to sell something for, say, $799, but can't get the margin we need, we probably won't go to $849, $899, or $949 because those are weird prices and most people would feel like they're paying $1000 anyway. So instead we'll go straight to $999 and try to squeeze in hardware improvements before everything is locked in to warrant the higher price.
 
Lysander said:
I was (pleasantly) surprised when i bought a Helix Floor again recently, because i remembered it being massive and... it's ok? Yeah, it's not as backpack friendly as, say, a QC. But it can still be transported easily, and has about the perfect dimensions for a gigging floorboard.

What i did remember right is how *&#$ heavy the thing is, thou. Built like a freaking tank in every sense - including mass :LOL: I'd kill for a full-DSP Helix in a smaller, lighter form factor.
Click to expand...
When the Helix first came out I was still thinking of size and weight in reference to the Bradshaw boards my heroes used. I feel like everything shrank after that.
 
Digital Igloo said:
Sure, if we end up with a $10 discount from the factory, we won't typically lower the price, although it would probably allow us to run promotions more often or for longer. (However, we did move manufacturing from China to Malaysia for some products, which lowered our cost, which let us return to pre-COVID street pricing.)

A surprise $10 ex-factory increase might not affect the retail price of a higher end product that's already been launched (unless it was very affordable), but an extra $10 before launch might indeed affect the street price. And it certainly wouldn't cost the user an extra $10—more like $30-80, depending on the company's target margin, run rate, or any number of other things. A buddy of mine sells a pedal for $99 but their ex-factory (including packaging) is only $12-13. It seems like that margin might be super high, but it has to pay for salaries, rent, utilities, shipping, tariffs, business taxes, server costs, legal costs, cloud storage, marketing, the coffee machine, etc. They don't move many thousands of units, however; if they did, the price would likely be far less than $99 and they'd be happy with a much lower margin.

This stuff is typically figured out backwards tho'. YGG settles on a target street price and based on that, an ex-factory target. If we can't hit that target, we either rip out features/functions (most always hardware-related) until we can—or raise the product's price, begrudgingly.

Also, price perception is a huge thing. If we want to sell something for, say, $799, but can't get the margin we need, we probably won't go to $849, $899, or $949 because those are weird prices and most people would feel like they're paying $1000 anyway. So instead we'll go straight to $999 and try to squeeze in hardware improvements before everything is locked in to warrant the higher price.
Click to expand...
Just don’t take the exp pedal off the next flagship, please. 😂 I’ll pay the extra $80 if it means I don’t need more wires and detached shit I’m going to want to put on a pedalboard unless the main unit weighs like 3lbs.
 
ian_dissonance said:
Just don’t take the exp pedal off the next flagship, please. 😂 I’ll pay the extra $80 if it means I don’t need more wires and detached shit I’m going to want to put on a pedalboard unless the main unit weighs like 3lbs.
Click to expand...
What if the expression pedal were a modular thing, where it slots in with an aluminum dovetail and connects via magnetic contacts?

EDIT: "Look upon my red herrings and despair!"
 
Last edited:
New York Lol GIF by Late Night with Seth Meyers
 
Digital Igloo said:
What if the expression pedal were a modular thing, where it slots in with an aluminum dovetail and connects via magnetic contacts?
Click to expand...
As long as it’s included, that’s kind what I was mentioning a little earlier in the thread. I’d prefer everything I need is integrated right out of the box. Obviously a selfish desire (like all kinds of cool control modulators).
 
Digital Igloo said:
What if the expression pedal were a modular thing, where it slots in with an aluminum dovetail and connects via magnetic contacts?
Click to expand...

That's absolutely in line with what I suggested numerous times already. Make the thing semi-modular. Let me "click in" an EXP pedal. Or more switches. Or knobs. Or I/Os. Just don't ask Apple prices for those modules because otherwise Mr. Franck will come to your house.
 
They’ve done it before they can do it again… but sexier.

Remember these are not plastic! Steel switches and enclosure… (not steel steel… but yeah.. metal)
IMG_7249.jpeg
 
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