Helix Talk

[dk_ace]

Looking at Eventide H9 Max used pedals, however, as good as the effects are, I f*****g detest using apps, plus the H9 is limited to one fracking algo at a time.

So the question is, I’m seeing HXFX used for the same price, maybe even less. Is this a dumb purchase? I’d be using it for the weirder tones, and/or tones I use less often, like tremolo, flanger, synthy stuff, etc. It’s bigger too, but who cares about that?

You’ll get a lot more diverse sounds potentially from the HX fx IMO, but there are some great sounds in the H9 too. My hangup with the Eventide stuff is that it has a “sound” that kinda grates on me after a bit. I feel like I can pick it out pretty easily, especially the stuff like black hole. Of course that hasn’t stopped me from wanting to get an h90…

Between an h9 and an hxfx, I’d take the HX. I’d want the extra foot switches, snapshots, and ability to roll my own weird effects. If it was between an h90 and an HX, that would be a tougher choice for me.

D

 

[paisleywookiee]

The HXFX is really good; there's a reason you'll see it on a lot of pro musician pedalboards these days.

Its main problem is that it has a very specific use case, so the value proposition is not as good as the rest of the Helix line. The HXFX is great for live use, but it also costs roughly the same as a new HX Stomp, and the latter might be a much better buy for some people.

This is specifically because I want the foot switches, otherwise I’d likely go for another Stomp for this purpose. Additionally, this has the channel switching, which would be handy.

 

[ragingplatypi]

A used HXFX is where it’s at, as they don’t hold their value as much as the Stomp. I’ve been tempted by it many times, but have been holding out to just get an LT. If I already had a nice pedalboard and power supply I’d be doing the Stomp+HXFX combo already.

 

[Mongillo19]

A used HXFX is where it’s at, as they don’t hold their value as much as the Stomp. I’ve been tempted by it many times, but have been holding out to just get an LT. If I already had a nice pedalboard and power supply I’d be doing the Stomp+HXFX combo already.

I just picked up a HX FX to pair with tone X. To be honest I find fractal much easier to navigate but it could just be due to how much I've used it lol

I'm sure I'll get the hang of quick edits on the FX soon enough but I really enjoy it and the scribble strips are a huge plus

 

[Perrymusica]

Buen dia, comparto el video que hice sobre como funciona el Vox AC30 de Helix. Espero les sirva
Good morning, I share the video I made on how the Helix Vox AC30 works. I hope it works for you

 

[EOengineer]

I say this as an HXFX and Helix Floor owner - I would not buy the HXFX again. I bought mine the day they were announced, and while there are some things I love about it, the exclusion of the impedance switching hardware was a cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight on the part of L6.

There are a number of vintage effects, mostly fuzz but some mods and delays too, that do not sound and respond the same with the HXFX’s fixed impedance. I sometimes wonder if this is why vintage fuzz staples are so poorly represented in Helix where I’d expect to have tonebenders, both Ge and Si fuzzfaces, and countless other popular or important landmark circuits that are just totally excluded.

I’ve turned lemons into lemonade by pairing the HXFX with a Tonex, but at this point I really just wish the stomp would have been an option at the time.

 

[Foxmeister]

I say this as an HXFX and Helix Floor owner - I would not buy the HXFX again. I bought mine the day they were announced, and while there are some things I love about it, the exclusion of the impedance switching hardware was a cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight on the part of L6.

It does seem to me to be a tad "hyperbolic" ( ) to say that it "was a cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight", when units like the FM3 also have fixed impedance and so should surely exhibit the same issue?

That being said, I seem to recall @Digital Igloo saying that he regretted losing the battle over the inclusion of the variable input impedance on the HXFX, so you certainly aren't alone in your thoughts!

 

[EOengineer]

It does seem to me to be a tad "hyperbolic" ( ) to say that it "was a cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight", when units like the FM3 also have fixed impedance and so should surely exhibit the same issue?

That being said, I seem to recall @Digital Igloo saying that he regretted losing the battle over the inclusion of the variable input impedance on the HXFX, so you certainly aren't alone in your thoughts!

I am being hyperbolic, but realistically the impact of this decision to not include that hardware depends on your usage and needs.

The obvious difference in your comparison is that the FM3 offers much more than just FX, so the spotlight isn't solely focused on the FX. People are less likely to buy an FM3 to reproduce fuzz face tones through their tube rig. With the HXFX being aimed at replicating vintage and modern FX, missing the importance of the impedance and pickup interaction is a pretty big oversight.

 

[Digital Igloo]

It does seem to me to be a tad "hyperbolic" ( ) to say that it "was a cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight", when units like the FM3 also have fixed impedance and so should surely exhibit the same issue?

That being said, I seem to recall @Digital Igloo saying that he regretted losing the battle over the inclusion of the variable input impedance on the HXFX, so you certainly aren't alone in your thoughts!

I didn't lose a battle. That was my call (to ensure we could keep the price at $599) and it was the wrong one; we didn't make the same mistake with HX Stomp. But yes, "cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight" is certainly hyperbole, given that only a handful of models default to anything other than the stock 1M Ohm.

Cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight would be if a company hacked and stole code from Electro-Harmonix and released their own products containing said code complete with lines reading "Copyright Electro-Harmonix." Or if another company's 8-bus console's circuit boards read "Made by Mackie in Woodinville, WA" because they told the CM "make mine exactly the same."

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Or if another company's 8-bus console's circuit boards read "Made by Mackie in Woodinville, WA" because they told the CM "make mine exactly the same."

I don't know this one. Can anyone fill me in?

 

[Lysander]

Cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight would be if a company hacked and stole code from Electro-Harmonix and released their own products containing said code complete with lines reading "Copyright Electro-Harmonix." Or if another company's 8-bus console's circuit boards read "Made by Mackie in Woodinville, WA" because they told the CM "make mine exactly the same."

Strong words. Strong, bewildering words. Can you tell us Mooer? Doesn't Behringer any bells to me.

 

[Foxmeister]

I didn't lose a battle. That was my call (to ensure we could keep the price at $599) and it was the wrong one; we didn't make the same mistake with HX Stomp. But yes, "cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight" is certainly hyperbole, given that only a handful of models default to anything other than the stock 1M Ohm.

You are quite correct sir! I (eventually) found the post I was looking for!

It might sound arrogant, but the only notable decision I regret about Helix/HX is not including variable impedance circuits on HX Effects' inputs. That was dumb. Most everything else that bugs me was outside of my control.

 

[EOengineer]

I didn't lose a battle. That was my call (to ensure we could keep the price at $599) and it was the wrong one; we didn't make the same mistake with HX Stomp. But yes, "cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight" is certainly hyperbole, given that only a handful of models default to anything other than the stock 1M Ohm.

Cripplingly, catastrophically bad oversight would be if a company hacked and stole code from Electro-Harmonix and released their own products containing said code complete with lines reading "Copyright Electro-Harmonix." Or if another company's 8-bus console's circuit boards read "Made by Mackie in Woodinville, WA" because they told the CM "make mine exactly the same."

I acknowledge I was being hyperbolic.

A while back I saw you mention regretting this decision in the AMA you did in the other section on this forum somewhere. Even as one of the probably few people who were impacted by the decision not to support the impedance switching hardware, I understand the dilemma with the HXFX. You've got a bunch of footswitches, the scribble strips, and all the external switching hardware - add in the impedance hardware and now it costs as much as a stompXL or more. Thanks for continuing to engage and be transparent with your users/customers.

FWIW - I still think there is a market for an HXFX that has that hardware - if not in the next generation. If you had to guess what that pricetag would have looked like at the time, are you able to say? I would have guessed $700-750?

 

[JiveTurkey]

I acknowledge I was being hyperbolic.

A while back I saw you mention regretting this decision in the AMA you did in the other section on this forum somewhere. Even as one of the probably few people who were impacted by the decision not to support the impedance switching hardware, I understand the dilemma with the HXFX. You've got a bunch of footswitches, the scribble strips, and all the external switching hardware - add in the impedance hardware and now it costs as much as a stompXL or more. Thanks for continuing to engage and be transparent with your users/customers.

FWIW - I still think there is a market for an HXFX that has that hardware - if not in the next generation. If you had to guess what that pricetag would have looked like at the time, are you able to say? I would have guessed $700-750?

Stomp FX XL

 

[pipelineaudio]

Or if another company's 8-bus console's circuit boards read "Made by Mackie in Woodinville, WA" because they told the CM "make mine exactly the same."

I was gonna say "or had the same errors in the user manual as the Mackie or Aphex model did".

But then again, given the politics of the European courts at the time, it really wasn't cripplingly bad at all, it worked out for them just fine, is still working out, and set the precedent that even hardware cannot be intellectual property in the EU and eventually set precedent for the rest of the world and the "borrowers" are laughing all the way to the bank

 

[EOengineer]

Stomp FX XL

I might need more footswitches and Im not sure I need all those scribble strips. Maybe I should pick the Stomp FX XL LT 1/2.

With cheese.

 

[Digital Igloo]

I acknowledge I was being hyperbolic.

A while back I saw you mention regretting this decision in the AMA you did in the other section on this forum somewhere. Even as one of the probably few people who were impacted by the decision not to support the impedance switching hardware, I understand the dilemma with the HXFX. You've got a bunch of footswitches, the scribble strips, and all the external switching hardware - add in the impedance hardware and now it costs as much as a stompXL or more. Thanks for continuing to engage and be transparent with your users/customers.

FWIW - I still think there is a market for an HXFX that has that hardware - if not in the next generation. If you had to guess what that pricetag would have looked like at the time, are you able to say? I would have guessed $700-750?

HX Effects is an interesting one. In a perfect world, it wouldn't need to exist, as every user would clearly understand they can just ignore the amps and cabs within a modeler. After all, the workflow isn't that different from HX Stomp XL, and "X scribble strips vs. one color screen" doesn't really warrant multiple SKUs.

But there's still this lingering "will never buy a modeler but multieffects are fine" crowd. Are they big enough to continue catering to? Dunno.

To be honest, if we ever get around to refreshing a few boxes, I'm fairly confident there's a way to combine multiple form factors into a single product without alienating too many fans of the current generation. It's much easier to support/update a handful of SKUs vs. <counting> jeez, nine Helix/HX products?!

 

[EOengineer]

But there's still this lingering "will never buy a modeler but multieffects are fine" crowd. Are they big enough to continue catering to? Dunno.

That’s a conundrum, and perhaps that’s a hard one to get data on since the “never modeler” types might also be “never computer” types. I’m not immediately sure how to quantify that.

I will say that I suspect there is a “gateway drug” effect with the HXFX specifically. Even being pissed about the impedance thing, once I saw how much you all got right with the platform, i knew I’d eventually grab the Helix floor. I’d imagine others have followed similar paths into or through the platform.

To be honest, if we ever get around to refreshing a few boxes, I'm fairly confident there's a way to combine multiple form factors into a single product without alienating too many fans of the current generation. It's much easier to support/update a handful of SKUs vs. <counting> jeez, nine Helix/HX products?!

This is interesting. I could see a world where where the processing centers are decoupled from the control centers, but then this starts feeling like rack gear to me and I’m thinking maybe I understood you.

 

[Digital Igloo]

But then again, given the politics of the European courts at the time, it really wasn't cripplingly bad at all, it worked out for them just fine, is still working out, and set the precedent that even hardware cannot be intellectual property in the EU and eventually set precedent for the rest of the world and the "borrowers" are laughing all the way to the bank

Know who else is laughing all the way to the bank? Purdue Pharma, Nestlé, Deutsche Bank, Philip Morris, Blackwater, Halliburton, and the Sinaloa Cartel. Hiring a team of powerful lawyers doesn't absolve one from being a garbage organization with a loathsome business model.

 

[HotRats]

I'd love to see a super Line6 HXFX.

A bigger helix control with more switches (3 rows of 5) and a remote brain a la helix rack with at least 4 FX loops, comprehensive amp channel switching capabilities and midi.