IDEA: Helix Lunchbox Amp Head

kartikg3 said:
True, thats why I love TB2/3
Click to expand...

aroused goat GIF


Easy now!
 
TB2 aside, I think BluGuitar has a pretty good idea for their Amp X fx loop: TS mono send, TRS stereo in. Then you can run it into the main stereo line outputs.

As for the Helix lunchbox amp head...I'd probably buy that. Kemper isn't too far off from that concept, but I just don't care for the profiling thing.
 
I think it’s an interesting idea. I mocked it up for Cliff years ago:

giphy.gif


I think there is a market for people that want to leverage digital, but in something that resembles a traditional amp, providing the traditional amp experience, but without the dumbed down or limited modeling. And it doesn’t even need to have any other effects and shit bogging it down. Just amps, with maybe an IR loader on the back if you want to go direct. But it should be treated as no different than a traditional amp, bring your own effects, bring your own cab, the only non-traditional thing required is to select which given amps you want running from the controls at any given time, but otherwise it’s WYSIWYG and you interact and build a rig around it just like an amp.
 
Whizzinby said:
I think it’s an interesting idea. I mocked it up for Cliff years ago:

giphy.gif


I think there is a market for people that want to leverage digital, but in something that resembles a traditional amp, providing the traditional amp experience, but without the dumbed down or limited modeling. And it doesn’t even need to have any other effects and shit bogging it down. Just amps, with maybe an IR loader on the back if you want to go direct. But it should be treated as no different than a traditional amp, bring your own effects, bring your own cab, the only non-traditional thing required is to select which given amps you want running from the controls at any given time, but otherwise it’s WYSIWYG and you interact and build a rig around it just like an amp.
Click to expand...
The powered Kemper experience is actually not soooooo far off of this -- definitely the closest one can get in the digital world, imo. I imagine liquid profiling has brought it even closer. The ability to load only the rigs you want onto the unit is really nice, along with the ability to "lock" the effects so they stay the same as you swap in/out amp and cab profiles.
 
Boudoir Guitar said:
The powered Kemper experience is actually not soooooo far off of this -- definitely the closest one can get in the digital world, imo. I imagine liquid profiling has brought it even closer. The ability to load only the rigs you want onto the unit is really nice, along with the ability to "lock" the effects so they stay the same as you swap in/out amp and cab profiles.
Click to expand...

I don’t think captures leans into the idea i envision for it, because the potential need to demo and cycle through captures finding the golden ones slightly flies in the face of the more traditional experience I have in mind. I envision something like this as a straight amp experience with the only notable exception of needing to select (or change) which amp models you’d want for each channel on the physical device.

Nonetheless yes I’ve always liked the idea of the Kemper Powered toaster for a lot of the reasons you listed. It’s a cool solution in their ecosystem.
 
Whizzinby said:
I don’t think captures leans into the idea i envision for it, because the potential need to demo and cycle through captures finding the golden ones slightly flies in the face of the more traditional experience I have in mind. I envision something like this as a straight amp experience with the only notable exception of needing to select (or change) which amp models you’d want for each channel on the physical device.

Nonetheless yes I’ve always liked the idea of the Kemper Powered toaster for a lot of the reasons you listed. It’s a cool solution in their ecosystem.
Click to expand...
yeah, there is the front-end work of getting the thing loaded with the amps you want -- but honestly, the same is kinda true of Fractal at this point. "I know I want a classic black panel amp on here....let's see....". But I totally agree that the capture/profile approach is fundamentally wrong for the ideal unit in this area.
 
Whizzinby said:
don’t think captures leans into the idea i envision for it, because the potential need to demo and cycle through captures finding the golden ones slightly flies in the face of the more traditional experience
Click to expand...
Not to bring it back up but Liquid Profiles do address this to a degree. When I had my Kemper, I was able to try the LPs and it significantly reduced the profile hunt.
 
Mongillo19 said:
Not to bring it back up but Liquid Profiles do address this to a degree. When I had my Kemper, I was able to try the LPs and it significantly reduced the profile hunt.
Click to expand...

Not to derail, and this is just my personal opinion, if you want an underlying model to make the capture work better, why not just use the model to begin with? lol Note: I’m just out on capturing largely these days. I get the value.

Reminds me of the Carlin bit “Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. If it’s undisputed, then whats all the fighting about?”

“Liquid Profiles. If we want to leverage a model, what’s all the capturing about?” :ROFLMAO:
 
Whizzinby said:
Not to derail, and this is just my personal opinion, if you want an underlying model to make the capture work better, why not just use the model to begin with? lol Note: I’m just out on capturing largely these days. I get the value.

Reminds me of the Carlin bit “Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. If it’s undisputed, then whats all the fighting about?”

“Liquid Profiles. If we want to leverage a model, what’s all the capturing about?” :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
Just replied about this on another thread. But yeah I only see it super valuable if it's your own amp you profile and then are now able to adjust. Models are always going to be someone else's interpretation or amp model. The profile (ideally) should be your amp settings and tone which with LP can now be tweaked like your amp.

Caveat being that we've discussed how Kemper doesn't necessarily profile your amp the most accurate so at the end of the day, does it matter or would it be akin to the difference between your amp and a modeler amp anyway?
 
Whizzinby said:
Not to derail, and this is just my personal opinion, if you want an underlying model to make the capture work better, why not just use the model to begin with?
Click to expand...

Because you may not find what you want there. Or because you like the way the Kemper operates in general (*check*).
 
Personally, I'd love a Helix powered "Katana Killer" or GTX50/Spark rival from Line 6. I thought the Catalyst was that, but my understanding is that amp is aimed at the KISS segment (Keep it Simple Stupid, not Let's Play Dress Us and Retire Every Year For Eons).

If Line 6 (or Fractal) released something in that lane, I'd buy one in a heartbeat... maybe two.
 
kartikg3 said:
I woke up from my half dream state this morning with this image in my head: a beautiful lunchbox amp head sitting on top of a nice 1x12 cab, with the Helix logo in the center, kinda like the REVV D20 series form factor. Standard amp control knobs and a bunch of freely assignable infinity encoders for freely assignable params (amp / verbs / delays / mods and such), levels indicated by lights surrounding those encoders, and colour coded to indicated the kind of effect the param is controlling (std. Helix colours: green for delays, orange for verbs, blue for mods, purple for filter/pitch, orange-yellow for dist/fuzzes, lemon-yellow for EQ/Comp/Dynamics etc. Perhaps little screens / scribble strips indicating the type of params etc.

What do folks here think market for a Helix powered amp head would be?! What features do you think such a hypothetical amp head would have? (We have Katana heads in this space already for inspiration)
Click to expand...
Given the current prices of Helix/HX boxes, what would people be willing to pay for such a beast? We looked at a comprehensive Helix-in-a-combo and Helix-in-a-head years ago and felt it'd be too expensive to do right. But public perception may have changed by now.
 
Digital Igloo said:
Given the current prices of Helix/HX boxes, what would people be willing to pay for such a beast?
Click to expand...
Hypothetically, could L6 make it (clarity added: a powered Helix, compatible with the current Control) work for a price similar to the other powered modeler on the market (2000-2200)?

Edit: I didn’t not read all the bells and whistles in the comment DI responded to. I was really just focusing on the helix brain + power amp idea.
 
Digital Igloo said:
Given the current prices of Helix/HX boxes, what would people be willing to pay for such a beast? We looked at a comprehensive Helix-in-a-combo and Helix-in-a-head years ago and felt it'd be too expensive to do right. But public perception may have changed by now.
Click to expand...
Considering the Helix is already overpriced ( :stirthepot ) and the fact that a combo would basically get rid of a ton of the ins/outs/switches/audio interface/pots/switches etc ... I guess around exactly 1150 euro would be just right.

Assuming the power amp is 6l6 / EL34 of course.
 
SKU said:
Considering the Helix is already overpriced ( :stirthepot ) and the fact that a combo would basically get rid of a ton of the ins/outs/switches/audio interface/pots/switches etc ... I guess around exactly 1150 euro would be just right.
Click to expand...
I know you’re joking, but counterpoint: the Rack is $1600 to Floor’s $1700. Removing the stuff that makes Floor, Floor doesn’t seem to save (the consumer) much. That’s why I’d expect this hypothetical thing to start at the $1600 price point, then of course there are costs added for the amplifier and whatever else L6 would choose to add to make the Helix Cranium the amp head we all crave.
 
SKU said:
Assuming the power amp is 6l6 / EL34 of course.
Click to expand...

The OP was talking lunchbox in the 20-30 watt range. Some guys use big bottles for that but if we're getting cost conscious maybe step down to 84s or 6V6s?

Bigger glass = bigger iron = bigger bucks.
 
eggpl@nt said:
I know you’re joking, but counterpoint: the Rack is $1600 to Floor’s $1700. Removing the stuff that makes Floor, Floor doesn’t seem to save (the consumer) much. That’s why I’d expect this hypothetical thing to start at the $1600 price point, then of course there are costs added for the amplifier and whatever else L6 would choose to add to make the Helix Cranium the amp head we all crave.
Click to expand...
Well ... I would assume that the critical hardware cost between something like Pod Go and Helix Floor is probably less than 100 euro. CPU, RAM, storage etc. So they'd have to basically put the guts of an upgraded Pod Go ( that runs the full helix software ) between the V1 preamp tube and the 6l6 power section and call it a day. All in all ... 1150 should be more than reasonable.

The OP was talking lunchbox in the 20-30 watt range. Some guys use big bottles for that but if we're getting cost conscious maybe step down to 84s or 6V6s.

Bigger glass = bigger iron = bigger bucks.
Click to expand...

Willing to cut Line6 some slack and accept 30W 4 6v6 for 1150 and 6l6 for 1400.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top