Line 6 Helix Stadium Pre-Launch Discussion

[[Nathan]]

The original HX amps will remain available.

 

[Mooselake]

I think the choice comes down to loosing Stadium in the wild in the coming months or sitting on it for another year or two while respinning more amps using the Agoura modeling (or modeling new-to-Helix items with it). Line 6 has said it's faster to create models using Agoura than OG, so I think it's reasonable to expect new Agoura models to appear at a pretty good clip going forward. My vote doesn't count any more than anyone else's, but I'm happy they decided to get the new platform out there even if the menu of new models is incomplete.

 

[LCW]

Is there any interest out there in a JCM800 2205 as a future inclusion? A much maligned amp, I know, but it's something off the beaten track and would be a point of difference

No

 

[mikah912]

I think the choice comes down to loosing Stadium in the wild in the coming months or sitting on it for another year or two while respinning more amps using the Agoura modeling (or modeling new-to-Helix items with it). Line 6 has said it's faster to create models using Agoura than OG, so I think it's reasonable to expect new Agoura models to appear at a pretty good clip going forward. My vote doesn't count any more than anyone else's, but I'm happy they decided to get the new platform out there even if the menu of new models is incomplete.

Really, they just have a few more categories to cross off with Agoura amps (Dumble/GSG, Recto, Mesa Mark, JC120, original 5150, Friedman).

After that, it's just gravy, and by that time Proxy captures should be making quite an impact on tonal variety too.

 

[EOengineer]

Really, they just have a few more categories to cross off with Agoura amps (Dumble/GSG, Recto, Mesa Mark, JC120, original 5150, Friedman).

After that, it's just gravy, and by that time Proxy captures should be making quite an impact on tonal variety too.

You think Proxy will be a stand-in for missing amps? I’ve wondered about that. I’d prefer getting full models, even having fully embraced profiling, but perhaps some really solid profiles and an intuitive workflow wins some folks over.

 

[Sascha Franck]

The original HX amps will remain available.

And at launch (adding that just in case...).

 

[[Nathan]]

You think Proxy will be a stand-in for missing amps? I’ve wondered about that. I’d prefer getting full models, even having fully embraced profiling, but perhaps some really solid profiles and an intuitive workflow wins some folks over.

They’re separate paths imo. Regardless of what people want they’ve said proxy is coming next year so that’ll be cool. A fully modelled amp is always going to be more useful than a single profile, but having endless profiles to browse and try out is its own barrel of fun. I don’t see proxy as a stand in, it’s just another thing to use. Incredibly hard to say x amount of amps is worth the entire proxy feature, because it’s endless. In the totality of the unit I think proxy will be awesome, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the people who are against profiling for whatever reason end up stacking it in some of their presets.

Besides the obvious uses for profiles, people are using NAM and ToneX with models of poweramps so even pairing preamp pedals and other things with proxy will have its own unique uses that modelling won’t

 

[EOengineer]

They’re separate paths imo. Regardless of what people want they’ve said proxy is coming next year so that’ll be cool. A fully modelled amp is always going to be more useful than a single profile, but having endless profiles to browse and try out is its own barrel of fun. I don’t see proxy as a stand in, it’s just another thing to use. Incredibly hard to say x amount of amps is worth the entire proxy feature, because it’s endless. In the totality of the unit I think proxy will be awesome, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if the people who are against profiling for whatever reason end up stacking it in some of their presets.

Besides the obvious uses for profiles, people are using NAM and ToneX with models of poweramps so even pairing preamp pedals and other things with proxy will have its own unique uses that modelling won’t

Just to clarify, I’m not suggesting an either/or scenario. Proxy is coming and I’m here for it. I’ve been pretty vocal about wanting a capture player in current gen Helix and have been using Tonex hardware and software since launch.

I’m moreso curious if Proxy will satiate people who are holding off on the platform because <some-amp> isn’t there.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Besides the obvious uses for profiles, people are using NAM and ToneX with models of poweramps so even pairing preamp pedals and other things with proxy will have its own unique uses that modelling won’t

Add to this that you could also capture some outlier stuff that would very likely never see a component modeled version.

I once had an incredibly cheesy (made in GDR, in case anyone remembers...) Echolette solid state amp. Basically an utter POS, but there's been one or two kinda trashy sounds that I have never ever been able to recreate at all - and they sometimes just sounded marvelleous in a mix. Had I known about capturing tech when I finally trashed it, I'd possibly kept it until now.

Depending on how well Proxy (or any other capturing processes) will develop, you might even be able to come up with wild creations on your own. As an example: Run two amps in parallel, do a frequency split before hitting them, process the higher range with plenty of gain whereas keeping the lower split almost clean. No idea whether that'd be working already (I actually wanted to give that a try already), but it'd be something we likely won't ever see as a component modeled thing.

 

[mikah912]

Just to clarify, I’m not suggesting an either/or scenario. Proxy is coming and I’m here for it. I’ve been pretty vocal about wanting a capture player in current gen Helix.

I’m moreso curious if Proxy will satiate people who are holding off on the platform because <some-amp> isn’t there.

If the "big capture names" like Amalgam, Live Ready Sound, Sonic Drive Studio and Tone Junkies are unleashing content for Proxy, it most certainly should.

 

[EOengineer]

Random shower thought this morning - Will Agoura bring L6 neck and neck with Fractal’s current gen offerings, or is it pushing ahead into something truly next gen on the modeling front?

Really only L6 knows but I can’t wait to find out.

 

[GTR37]

If the "big capture names" like Amalgam, Live Ready Sound, Sonic Drive Studio and Tone Junkies are unleashing content for Proxy, it most certainly should.

Oh they will ….since Line6 already has market place so it should be easy there

Digital Igloo has said that we should know a lot more of what’s happening and coming around NAMM in January
And it’s likely Stadium will have already seen updates prior to that

He also mentioned somewhere the next list of Agoura amps is already chosen and there will be a new one that’s never been in a Line6 product to date
They almost released it but wanted to stick to the 16 at launch so it likely already well under development

 

[mikah912]

Random shower thought this morning - Will Agoura bring L6 neck and neck with Fractal’s current gen offerings, or is it pushing ahead into something truly next gen on the modeling front?

Really only L6 knows but I can’t wait to find out.

Going to answer a hard "hell naw!" because public/brand perception is HARD to change (I do B2B marketing for a living).

I don't think that's Line 6's goal anyway. Fractal diehards are unreachable. Who is NOT unreachable are the people who've eschewed modeling altogether because "it sounds digital" or "it's too complicated" compared to analog. That's what this platform will ultimately target over the next 10+ years.

That rising tide will hopefully lift all boats in this space.

 

[EOengineer]

That rising tide will hopefully lift all boats in this space.

Am I to understand you’re proposing tonal socialism in a politically neutral forum??

 

[Sascha Franck]

tonal socialism

Quoteworthy!

All your toanz belong to mankind!

 

[Chocol8]

I’m moreso curious if Proxy will satiate people who are holding off on the platform because <some-am

It absolutely will, for both amps and effects that are still missing when Proxy launches.

 

[Rocco Crocco]

Did anyone hear it mentioned if OG Helix Favorites and Setlists can be transferred to Stadium?

 

[molul]

Did anyone hear it mentioned if OG Helix Favorites and Setlists can be transferred to Stadium?

Haven't heard about Favorites, but importing OG Helix presets will be possible. I guess importin a full setlist will be addressed, as otherwise it would be hell importing one by one.

 

[mbenigni]

I can see some value here for those of us gigging and using multiple presets. I’ve run into issues where a verb or delay is too wet live and I don’t want to adjust it temporarily and separately across 10 presets while I’m on stage.

The Vetta amps had a global reverb knob that would scale any given preset's reverb block wetter or drier. Only applicable for this one effect, but it was a good idea.

 

[mbenigni]

Expression pedal assigned to the mix for your delay and reverb. Set the minimum to whatever you think would ever be the minimum you'd want, and the max likewise. 20-40% for example. Then you can ride it throughout the song even.

I'm wondering whether the Matrix view (mixer) will function globally and perhaps be effective here (which is why I brought up @Sascha Franck when I first read about it.)

But I like you're advice. I used to set up the tone knob on my GK-ready guitars to do exactly this (reverb mix, delay mix and feedback). I think Sascha has a whole laundry list of other parameters in mind, though.