Line 6 Helix Stadium Pre-Launch Discussion

[mikah912]

I'll bite. Let's play Guess The Missing Block Types©.

Number of items removed from the block table before sharing on TGF:

• Input: 1
• None: 1
• Reverb: 1
• Wah/Filter: 1
• Looper: 3
• FX Loop: 6
• Split: 1
• Output: 1
• Additional column A: 2
• Additional column B: 8
• Additional column C: 1

My only guess is that the reverb was a convolution reverb as it's been popping up more on competitors like Tonemaster Pro and Headrush.

The 'Wah/Filter" is tough because stuff I'd normally put there (e.g. synth, ring modulator, bitcrusher) is already accounted for in other categories. Only thing I can think of there is an envelope follower.

I'm going to say additional column B is Proxy given the multitude of types. So we have captured head, captured head+cab, captured cab, captured drive, captured other effects, and captured signal chain putting this all together.

 

[mbenigni]

Maybe most but not fractal I bet

Perhaps less so. It's a little bit more of an apples to oranges comparison than Stadium vs. QC, the QC being derivative of Helix in many ways. But if I were considering an FM9, in a world where Stadium was readily available at roughly the same price?

Obviously, the quality of amps and effects is a factor, and a subjective one at that. But features and ease of use tilt the scales pretty hard. And that's before you consider how much easier it is to buy (and if needed, return) a Line 6 product than a Fractal.

 

[Lysander]

• Input: 1

Bluetooth? I think you mentioned this in passing at some point.

 

[Digital Igloo]

The sooner the better. :) I'll take solace in the fact that the icon exists. And yes, I take full responsibility for whatever latency I incur. (9 times out of 10 I'm using that USB loop to convert to MIDI, so there's enough latency to give Leo Gibson fits anyway... P.S. If you'd like to take over on pitch-to-MIDI conversion, I'm all for it LOL.)

Will likely pre-order today. Feels like coming home. :)

Inserting only the wet signal of something like Valhalla's Supermassive or SoundToys' Spaceblender (plugin's Mix set to 100% and controlling the Mix from Stadium's FX Loop block) is the main use case we see here. And your pitch-to-MIDI. What else?

 

[Digital Igloo]

Bluetooth? I think you mentioned this in passing at some point.

Nope. Bluetooth audio appears as channels in the three Matrix mixer layers.

 

[Mongillo19]

Amp: 1

Power amp or solid state amp?

 

[GTR37]

Power amp or solid state amp?

Good guess

 

[mbenigni]

Inserting only the wet signal of something like Valhalla's Supermassive or SoundToys' Spaceblender (plugin's Mix set to 100% and controlling the Mix from Stadium's FX Loop block) is the main use case we see here. And your pitch-to-MIDI. What else?

I'm not sure I understand the question, but the application would be any scenario where you have an outboard effect path whose only or best I/O is USB. So basically, any effects running on tablets or laptops without dedicated audio interfaces.

In my use case, I'm sending USB audio to an iPad, which coverts to MIDI, triggering iOS softsynths, which then send audio back to QC. (Bonus MIDI control on the same cable.) But this approach also applies to any audio effects running on iOS. (I just don't happen to love any of them enough to go to the trouble.)

 

[Digital Igloo]

You'd know better than anyone else here, but as far as I can tell the Stadium products are going to have the competition on the run. NDSP must be thinking about ways they can lower manufacturing costs on QCs so they can put a little more daylight between their price vs. a non-XL Stadium.

I dunno. Those who focus on their own customers' problems will continue to be successful. Our Stadium patents are really meant to maybe give others pause before they rush to lift entire workflows whole hog, like some have done with our signal flow, DSP allocation, snapshots, Command Center, etc. There are SO MANY cool and unique things a multieffect could potentially do and I maintain this whole "Oh, Company X's box needs to add Company Y's feature" is a plague upon our industry. Proxy still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, even with the self-deprecating sheep icon.

I'm not sure I understand the question, but the application would be any scenario where you have an outboard effect path whose only or best I/O is USB. So basically, any effects running on tablets or laptops without dedicated audio interfaces.

In my use case, I'm sending USB audio to an iPad, which coverts to MIDI, triggering iOS softsynths, which then send audio back to QC. (Bonus MIDI control on the same cable.) But this approach also applies to any audio effects running on iOS. (I just don't happen to love any of them enough to go to the trouble.)

Any serial-type effect (distortion, fuzz, compression, etc.) would end up with really bad latency, or if applied in parallel, phase issues. So there'll definitely need to be some explanation added to the Owner's Manual if and when we ever get around to it.

 

[Rewolf]

I return a Hammond B3 via USB triggered by MIDI Guitar 2 on an iPad Pro. Latency yes, but the keyboard playing a bit behind isn’t a problem

Now a properly controlled version of a Mel 9 inspired effect….

 

[Rewolf]

You’ve got both of the USB FX Loop users right here

 

[mbenigni]

Any serial-type effect (distortion, fuzz, compression, etc.) would end up with really bad latency, or if applied in parallel, phase issues. So there'll definitely need to be some explanation added to the Owner's Manual if and when we ever get around to it.

I've never really used this to add more effects; more as a routing tool to crossfade between entirely different signal paths - typically guitar synth. But obviously you've got to pick your battles.

 

[mbenigni]

I return a Hammond B3 via USB triggered by MIDI Guitar 2 on an iPad Pro. Latency yes, but the keyboard playing a bit behind isn’t a problem

Now a properly controlled version of a Mel 9 inspired effect….

Oh man, all of the EHX x9 effects, please!

 

[mikah912]

I feel bad about talking about this even as @Digital Igloo says Proxy leaves a bad taste in his mouth, but I JUST saw the @2112 video on the new Hotone Verbera convolution reverb pedal.



In addition to having a ton of modes and cool presets on its own, um....this MFer clones reverbs?!?!

If that's the case and that Pandora's box has already been opened, Proxy almost certainly is going to be able to clone time-based effects at some point.

 

[molul]

The 'Wah/Filter" is tough because stuff I'd normally put there (e.g. synth, ring modulator, bitcrusher) is already accounted for in other categories. Only thing I can think of there is an envelope follower.

Poly synth maybe?

 

[Digital Igloo]

I feel bad about talking about this even as @Digital Igloo says Proxy leaves a bad taste in his mouth, but I JUST saw the @2112 video on the new Hotone Verbera convolution reverb pedal.



In addition to having a ton of modes and cool presets on its own, um....this MFer clones reverbs?!?!

Neat.

You've been able to capture reverb IRs in DAWs for a long time. Logic added Space Designer and a capture utility in 2013.

On the hardware front, the Sony DRE-777 ($12,000 new!) is from way back in 1999; we've clearly come a long way since then.

And a few neighborhoods over from us is Logidy, who, in 2014, released the EPSi, a convolution reverb pedal (playback only). A bunch of people asked them to make a cab IR loader with lower latency, so EPSi has two different versions of firmware, depending on whether you want reverbs or cabs.

 

[Mongillo19]

Good guess

I'm assuming a non response has to mean yes.

Right

 

[Lysander]

In addition to having a ton of modes and cool presets on its own, um....this MFer clones reverbs?!?!

Only non-dynamic verbs. It basically computes long IRs.

 

[mikah912]

You've been able to capture reverb IRs in DAWs for a long time. Logic added Space Designer and a capture utility in 2013.

On the hardware front, the Sony DRE-777 ($12,000 new!) is from 1999; we've clearly come a long way since then.

My first time seeing it in a pedal, especially one from a guitar multi-effects company. I genuinely thought we were a little ways off from that, but I know you can't talk about future-leaning stuff.

So, I'll just say that's....interesting giving the one Reverb block and Proxy blocks missing from your 1.0 legend.

 

[ispunk]

No joke, "The Humpty Dance" is my karaoke jam. Old band in Tucson would do a metal version and I'd rap on it.

The Stadium sure looks cool and all but...man I really wanna see a video of DI bustin' the rhymes of the Humpty Dance