Line 6 Helix Stadium Pre-Launch Discussion

I’m not a clean tones guy and that’s likely why I’m not picky about clean tones at all - I’ve had great clean (to my non picky ears) for years out of just about every modern digital solution. The high gain shit is where I get snobby 💯
Yeah those are the tones I will be using 100% of the time so I want to hear those. I am sure they'll be coming down the pike at some point. The drop they've been giving on these vids are good. No huge fanfare; just quick dirty demo and I think it's good that way \m/
 
TBH I'm not a huge fan of how Focus View looks like. Don't get me wrong, I think the feature is great. But the picture of the amp seems counterproductive to me. It doesn't reflect the actual settings of the model, but it makes the cursor (well, it's a circle, but you know what I mean) harder to see. Furthermore, I enjoy numbers. I want to see them, I want to be able to enter them (yes, it's a little quirk of mine). It seems to me that this isn't possible for the x/y coordinates in Focus View, am I right?
 
TBH I'm not a huge fan of how Focus View looks like. Don't get me wrong, I think the feature is great. But the picture of the amp seems counterproductive to me. It doesn't reflect the actual settings of the model, but it makes the cursor (well, it's a circle, but you know what I mean) harder to see. Furthermore, I enjoy numbers. I want to see them, I want to be able to enter them (yes, it's a little quirk of mine). It seems to me that this isn't possible for the x/y coordinates in Focus View, am I right?
I agree, I’m not a fan of the 3D rendering and will likely not use focus view because of it lol. I think the Helix signal path looks just fine and I’m glad that’s an option as well.
 
Yeah those are the tones I will be using 100% of the time so I want to hear those. I am sure they'll be coming down the pike at some point. The drop they've been giving on these vids are good. No huge fanfare; just quick dirty demo and I think it's good that way \m/
I for one was hoping for this to be recorded on Mt Vesuvius
 
I for one was hoping for this to be recorded on Mt Vesuvius
National Geographic Film GIF by Nat Geo Wild
 
It almost seems to me that Line 6 deliberately “nerfed” their Focus view/mode, just because they didn’t want to be accused of copying Fender’s skeuomorphic design on their Tone Master Pro (TMP).

If so, then that is a shame, as the GUI on the TMP is bloody brilliant (plus the TMP sounds absolutely amazing).

Besides, it is not like other manufacturers haven’t “borrowed” liberally from prior Line 6 innovations.
 
TBH I'm not a huge fan of how Focus View looks like. Don't get me wrong, I think the feature is great. But the picture of the amp seems counterproductive to me. It doesn't reflect the actual settings of the model, but it makes the cursor (well, it's a circle, but you know what I mean) harder to see. Furthermore, I enjoy numbers. I want to see them, I want to be able to enter them (yes, it's a little quirk of mine). It seems to me that this isn't possible for the x/y coordinates in Focus View, am I right?

Not quite.

You see the numbers in Focus view as you're changing everything. If you want to "enter" a number, you tap the parameter at the bottom of the screen, and then Focus View changes to a giant slider of just that parameter along with a description of what the parameter means and the effect of raising and lowering it will have.
 
Am I right in thinking that you like sweet pickles?

Besides the Fender TMP, I currently own a Fractal FM9T AND a Kemper PoweRack. They, likewise, sound absolutely fantastic. Nonetheless, Fender absolutely nailed it, with their TMP, both on the modeling front (tone/feel/dynamics) — as well as their innovative user/GUI/workflow experience.

And I prefer zesty dill/deli style pickles, with some kick. Not a fan of sweet-style / butter pickles. :p
 

Was just about to summarize this. I totally agree with DI's take here. I realized the folly of "full" skeuopmorphic amp modeling UI when I went insane trying to adjust the smallest parameters on amp heads in Overloud TH-2/TH-U however many years back.

I had a TMP for several months, and the only adjustment that made sense was turning the footswitches that would have the parameter written out in the scribble strip above them. Stadium XL has a muuuuch more information-dense approach where I can adjust the same number of parameters as TMP (8) at the same time but also see all my scenes or stomps or presets (or a mixture of them) too.
 
TBH I'm not a huge fan of how Focus View looks like. Don't get me wrong, I think the feature is great. But the picture of the amp seems counterproductive to me. It doesn't reflect the actual settings of the model, but it makes the cursor (well, it's a circle, but you know what I mean) harder to see. Furthermore, I enjoy numbers. I want to see them, I want to be able to enter them (yes, it's a little quirk of mine). It seems to me that this isn't possible for the x/y coordinates in Focus View, am I right?
Huh? What would those numbers show you? Moving the slider can change 32 or more different parameters, each with their own value ranges and special zone-based scaling (and eventually, user will be able to change settings—and therefore ranges and scaling—per zone), and you see those values right there in the inspector, where they're actually controlled. Sounds like you think Focus view is something it's not.
It almost seems to me that Line 6 deliberately “nerfed” their Focus view/mode, just because they didn’t want to be accused of copying Fender’s skeuomorphic design on their Tone Master Pro (TMP).
Please stop inferring nonsense. Line 6 did skeuomorphic panels that represented real gear before anyone else in MI, way back in '98 with AmpFarm (and much of our software editors and plugins, all the way up to Metallurgy do it too). Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Hell, Zoom's been doing per-model skeuomorphic panels in hardware for a decade or more:
Screenshot 2025-08-07 at 10.46.44 AM.png


As @Lysander 's quote pointed out, the disconnect between turning a knob and then having to resolve that with a cluster of pixels in a completely different part of the screen is a problem. It slows you down and quickly becomes a point of friction, whether you think it's "cool" that the little knobs move or not.

We moved past the goofiness of circa-2004 GarageBand with wooden side panels on the Arrange window back with iOS7 in 2013. Good riddance.
 


Respectfully, that sounds like some seriously weak-sauce of an explanation/justification, IMHO.

It also sounds tailor-made to respond to potential criticism or questions as to why Line 6 decided not to follow and expand upon an innovation and arguably a potentially new industry paradigm, established by another competitor.

Believe me, I am NOT taking anything away from Line 6…as they have been on the bloody cutting-edge of digital amp modeling from the beginning, and have more “We Did It First” achievements than probably everyone else put together.
 
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Respectfully, that sounds like some seriously weak-sauce of an explanation/justification, IMHO.

It also sounds tailor-made to respond to potential criticism or questions as to why Line 6 decided not to follow and expand upon an innovation and arguably a potentially new industry paradigm, established by another competitor.

Believe me, I am NOT taking anything away from Line 6…as they have been on the body cutting edge of digital amp modeling from the beginning, and have more “We Did It First” achievements than probably everyone else put together.
What industry paradigm is that?
 
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