Line 6 Helix Stadium Pre-Launch Discussion

[bucephalus]

My pleasure.
But seriously, that amp is delivering pretty much exactly the kind of clean tone I like for such things, both for rhythm and lead stuff.
Takes external (and internal anyway) pedals extraodinarily well, too - something that can be said for the entire HX series.

Sounds great and yes from that I think my interface needs dialing back a bit.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Sounds great and yes from that I think my interface needs dialing back a bit.

Btw, do you have any HX hardware as well? Because in that case I recommend to set your interface so it'll record at exactly the same level as the HX hardware delivers through USB channels 7/8. Alternatively, set your interface just the way you do and insert a gain plugin before HXN (or adjust the gain slider), so it'd always see the same level as what the hardware HXes would deliver. That way things sound as they're meant to sound.

 

[yek]

Here's a little clip that I recorded quite straight after it was released (sorry, posted that somewhere else before), I think it's pretty clean (maybe a little tad of hair when I pick harder, but I had the gain a little higher back then):

Sascha Benson.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Sascha Benson.

I wish (well, just kinda...).

 

[sashimi]

Well, I think it works quite well with the gain pretty much down. My standard patch has the gain at 4.5, though, and it even doesn't clip when I use my Ibanez 335 clone and add a little bit of push from the Vetta Comp. So maybe it's indeed your interface's input level driving it too hard with HXN's input slider at the default value.
Here's a little clip that I recorded quite straight after it was released (sorry, posted that somewhere else before), I think it's pretty clean (maybe a little tad of hair when I pick harder, but I had the gain a little higher back then):

All guitars are using the same patch

Sounds great! That’s baby making music

Do you use the super reverb cab? Is that the normal or vibrato channel?

 

[KingsXJJ]

Well, I think it works quite well with the gain pretty much down. My standard patch has the gain at 4.5, though, and it even doesn't clip when I use my Ibanez 335 clone and add a little bit of push from the Vetta Comp. So maybe it's indeed your interface's input level driving it too hard with HXN's input slider at the default value.
Here's a little clip that I recorded quite straight after it was released (sorry, posted that somewhere else before), I think it's pretty clean (maybe a little tad of hair when I pick harder, but I had the gain a little higher back then):

All guitars are using the same patch.

Very Sweet! Belongs on Apple’s Focus Steam for sure!

 

[KingsXJJ]

Sounds great! That’s baby making music

Do you use the super reverb cab? Is that the normal or vibrato channel?

Add in some Barry White for some backdoor action… wait wat?

 

[KingsXJJ]

We already know what HX modeling sounds like, and this is a refinement of that. If there was no established history for sound quality, sound clips would be extremely important.

I thought it was mentioned in a recent video that the Stadium didn’t really sound like Line 6 tones they were accustomed to.

Or am I misremembering and it referred to feel?

 

[Sascha Franck]

Do you use the super reverb cab? Is that the normal or vibrato channel?

Nrm channel. I think I used one of my live IRs (that I *somehow* slapped together many moons back). These days I'm still either using that very IR or the Mandarin 30 cab (which is my go-to for pretty much anything, regardless whether it's clean or dirt).
Here's the basic patch (IR is included if you want to try, no idea whether the amp settings are absolutely identical with those from the clip):

 

[Chocol8]

Isn't there at least some likelihood that one vendor will be (or be perceived as being) "best" with one, and another with the other? That's all I'm suggesting.

Maybe the perceived part, but I think going forward, there should be extremely little difference in capture quality between vendors. I expect any top tier vendor to either come up with something top quality or use NAM, and at that point differences should be miniscule.

 

[KingsXJJ]

Hell, i'd argue Fractal has too many amps. I think the AxeFX III is close to 350 models now, which is just insane.

Never! There’s an amp wish list a mile long and growing. The ones I’m waiting on are Gibson Lab Series. You might be able to guess why.

Although the Dogman tones created by the producer on Mesa gear and then handed over to Ty to try are glorious.

With a seriously powerful new processor, I’d like to see Fractal incorporate what Line 6 has started working on. An Amp model with all of the channels and toggle/switch options under one roof. I think that’s killer of L6.

 

[KingsXJJ]

That's just virtual amp collecting. If you want to do that, sure, stick with Fractal.

My experience with all that is that it's initially a lot of fun to have the wealth of options. Then over time you start finding your favorites, and everything else becomes "I'm bored and want to try something different".

Except for when someone comes along with a track for us using an amp they hadn’t considered previously. That happened to me recently with Atomica. Completely came out of nowhere due to my ignorance.

 

[Mongillo19]

An Amp model with all of the channel’s and options under one roof. I think that’s killer of L6.

QC already does this for what it's worth

 

[sashimi]

I mainly use about 4-5 amps in helix, and I pretty much make them all sound the same, so I am of the opinion that there is such a thing as too many amps, but I’m not complaining, I don’t need to use all of them just because they’re there. I have my go-to amps and I don’t even think about the rest. I appreciate the variety though, something for everyone.

 

[bucephalus]

Btw, do you have any HX hardware as well? Because in that case I recommend to set your interface so it'll record at exactly the same level as the HX hardware delivers through USB channels 7/8. Alternatively, set your interface just the way you do and insert a gain plugin before HXN (or adjust the gain slider), so it'd always see the same level as what the hardware HXes would deliver. That way things sound as they're meant to sound.

I just have the HXFX. I'm quite new to digital stuff so finding my feet as I go. Used to just record acoustic and vocals with very little processing. Your clip sounded fantastic though.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Sounds great @Sascha Franck

 

[Sascha Franck]

I just have the HXFX.

That should be fine as it works as an interface as well. Just have a look at the level you're getting from the USB bus in your DAW and set the input of your interface accordingly (or adjust the input of HXN). "Ballpark" should be close enough for a start.

 

[Digital Igloo]

That should be fine as it works as an interface as well. Just have a look at the level you're getting from the USB bus in your DAW and set the input of your interface accordingly (or adjust the input of HXN). "Ballpark" should be close enough for a start.

HX Effects doesn't have a USB audio interface. It didn't make sense given it has no amps, cabs, headphone out, or even a master Volume knob.

 

[Sascha Franck]

HX Effects doesn't have a USB audio interface.

Oh, sorry then, didn't know that!

 

[GTR37]

I thought it was mentioned in a recent video that the Stadium didn’t really sound like Line 6 tones they were accustomed to.

Or am I misremembering and it referred to feel?

Actually that was straight from Igloo
He said Agoura amps did not sound like a line6 product to him
One of the worship guys that actually played it said similar
The difference to him was about the difference comparing HX to Fractal same model