Line 6 Helix Stadium Pre-Launch Discussion

[dk_ace]

Many places have a no amp/cab statement because they're used to super loud amps and are trying to bring down stage volumes. They simply don't know any better.

If you can convince them that you can stay within (or much lower than) the output level of an acoustic drumset, a cab will work and is a million times better than any IEM or FRFR. I've played this way for a long time - I send an IR signal to FOH.

Now if it's completely silent stage - then, yes, nothing can be done. Might as well play an audio track at that point. No drummer wants to touch an electronic drumset if they can help it so many of these so called 'silent stages' have acoustic drumsets.

Getting and keeping work is usually accomplished by being really good with your instrument, a cool hang, and super agreeable to work with. Trying to get them to change existing policies for you is never in your best interest assuming there are other people around who are good and cool and won’t put them through that hassle.

I totally agree that the ban on guitar amps for a lot of gigs is ridiculous. I rarely argue about it though. You either want the gig and will work with the baggage that comes with it, or you don’t. There’s usually someone else who will be happy to take it.

D

 

[dk_ace]

I'm sure your bandmates and the FOH folks love you.

Actually, they do… I’m usually told that my signal basically needs nothing to sit perfectly in the mix.

I didn’t do this blindly. I did it after many reviews of board recordings, video, and broadcast work. Took me a while to learn what worked. It ain’t that weird midrangey thing. It ain’t the stuff in that clip. I’m not saying that those clip tones would be awful in a mix, just that I didn’t like them and you don’t have to dial things in that way to sit in a mix.

D

 

[Sascha Franck]

It ain’t that weird midrangey thing.

Mike Landau would disagree.

 

[timbuck3]

Really you guys go by what you hear on YT vids ? I mean it might be ok or terrible, consider it's not your gear, not your enviro, not your ear, and not your playing and everybody will listen to it though different systems One might listen to it through a Hi-Fi others headphones some even BT speakers.
Point is way too many variables to judge, only way to know is order one, tweak it to your liking with your axe and use your hearing and then judge is it a keeper? or do i use my timbucks to return it and get a refund?

 

[timbuck3]

Really you guys go by what you hear on YT vids ? I mean it might be ok or terrible, consider it's not your gear, not your enviro, not your ear, and not your playing and everybody will listen to it though different systems One might listen to it through a Hi-Fi others headphones some even BT speakers.
Point is way too many variables to judge, only way to know is order one, tweak it to your liking with your axe and use your hearing and then judge is it a keeper? or do i use my timbucks to return it and get a refund?

Why are Leon’s clips of the fractal always killer?

 

[Mongillo19]

Why are Leon’s clips of the fractal always killer?

You could find some YTers who have a fractal who don't sound killer.

Think it has more to do with Leon just being an awesome player

 

[ian_dissonance]

Why are Leon’s clips of the fractal always killer?

Because he’s a great player and even mediocre tones would sound great under his fingers. He also dials in most things to sound very similar and go along with his playing (which makes sense). That “top 5 tones” video sounds like a bunch of tones that would drop right into a live mix, same with most of the high gain tones. They’re not MY tones, but sonically they’re where they “should” be and either way they don’t sound exceptionally better or worse than any other YouTube clip of a decent tone from any piece of hardware. Like I said earlier seems like some people have never seen what an engineer is going to do with a mic on an amp or actually listened to a guitar tone, lol.

 

[GTR37]

Here is a good example about player sounding same packs from Euge
Here is Fractal and OG helix clips you can hear them isolated at end of video and they are not to far apart IMO

 

[timbuck3]

Because he’s a great player and even mediocre tones would sound great under his fingers. He also dials in most things to sound very similar and go along with his playing (which makes sense). That “top 5 tones” video sounds like a bunch of tones that would drop right into a live mix, same with most of the high gain tones. They’re not MY tones, but sonically they’re where they “should” be and either way they don’t sound exceptionally better or worse than any other YouTube clip of a decent tone from any piece of hardware. Like I said earlier seems like some people have never seen what an engineer is going to do with a mic on an amp or actually listened to a guitar tone, lol.

I know this I mean it’s just like Pete Thorne anything you touch? It sounds great, but I wasn’t too hot on the tones in that video whereas I’m like impressed with every single tone in 99% of his videos with fractal.

 

[banned]

I think some people just don’t like the helix tone. I don’t know. I may be one of those people, but doesn’t mean they’re bad or anything. It’s just some people just don’t get wowed by it.
I mean, just like other companies some people don’t get wild by their

I know this I mean it’s just like Pete Thorne anything you touch? It sounds great, but I wasn’t too hot on the tones in that video whereas I’m like impressed with every single tone in 99% of his videos with fractal.

Just buy a Fractal then. Why's there any confusion about this?

If you don't think that JCM800 tone at the start of that clip with Pete Thorn playing sounds awesome, I don't know what to say. To me it sounds killer.

 

[timbuck3]

Just buy a Fractal then. Why's there any confusion about this?

If you don't think that JCM800 tone at the start of that clip with Pete Thorn playing sounds awesome, I don't know what to say. To me it sounds killer.

They sounded good better than the other tones in that video the clean videos that I’ve heard are very thin sounding, but yeah, I would buy a fractal if they had a helix style gui. But I doubt that’s ever gonna happen.

 

[paisleywookiee]

He's not gonna buy it, NO! He's not gonna buy it
He's not gonna buy it, anymore!

 

[JiveTurkey]

I, too; enjoy constructing scenarios that allow me to purchase nothing.

 

[Fireproof]

I can make any of those tones sound equally bad under my fingers - so I’m not too concerned with how accurate they sound or which box is technically better tone wise - lol.

Honestly - all of this gear and my guitars far exceed my skills anyway So I’m mainly looking for fun and enjoyment playing with and through them. And after owning all the others - Kemper, Fractal, NDSP, and some of the smaller guys, I keep coming back to enjoying the Helix paradigm best. And with the new capabilities in Stadium - I think it’s going to be the Goldilocks answer for me.

 

[mikah912]

I can make any of those tones sound equally bad under my fingers - so I’m not too concerned with how accurate they sound or which box is technically better tone wise - lol.

Honestly - all of this gear and my guitars far exceed my skills anyway So I’m mainly looking for fun and enjoyment playing with and through them. And after owning all the others - Kemper, Fractal, NDSP, and some of the smaller guys, I keep coming back to enjoying the Helix paradigm best. And with the new capabilities in Stadium - I think it’s going to be the Goldilocks answer for me.

That definitely influenced my decision as well.

No one knows what the future holds exactly, but I'd really like for this to be the solution that keeps me from looking at any other solutions. The healthy road map ahead of it, cloning capabilities and super intuitive interface make me feel like this should do it.

If there's going to be any gear movement for me going forward after this, it will probably be with guitars and nothing else. Honestly, my biggest Focus for this year is dedicated practice time and actual growth on the instrument rather than whipping out my old faithful riffs and licks over a bunch of new patches or hardware.

 

[jmcecil]

Honestly, my biggest Focus for this year is dedicated practice time and act growth on the instrument rather than whipping out my old faithful riffs and licks over a bunch of new patches or hardware.

heresy

 

[Mooselake]

Simply because Pete and I are quite aligned in our general musical tastes I enjoyed his a lot more than the rest, I just wished they were longer and that he would have talked a little bit about the experience. I'm sure eventually he'll do one of his standard videos of a multi-part original composition and I'll get all that eventually. The other tones were not my thing. They were interesting and to me didn't sound bad or anything.

But about every piece of gear will sound good when Pete and his peers get a hold of it and are able to completely do their own thing with them. I think it was mentioned upthread (or at the Place That Shall not be Named) that those presets were done by someone at L6 and the artists just had a go with them.

These clips and demos are a fun way to pass the time, but it'll take some hands-on time with the unit to determine for who of us it works, and for who of us it doesn't.

 

[timbuck3]

Simply because Pete and I are quite aligned in our general musical tastes I enjoyed his a lot more than the rest, I just wished they were longer and that he would have talked a little bit about the experience. I'm sure eventually he'll do one of his standard videos of a multi-part original composition and I'll get all that eventually. The other tones were not my thing. They were interesting and to me didn't sound bad or anything.

But about every piece of gear will sound good when Pete and his peers get a hold of it and are able to completely do their own thing with them. I think it was mentioned upthread (or at the Place That Shall not be Named) that those presets were done by someone at L6 and the artists just had a go with them.

These clips and demos are a fun way to pass the time, but it'll take some hands-on time with the unit to determine for who of us it works, and for who of us it doesn't.

We also don’t know how many takes he did what postprocessing it was. Maybe he did like 10 different riffs and they only chose the ones they showed.

 

[EOengineer]

Gonna laugh when it turns out all these samples are current gen Helix.

 

[Fireproof]

Gonna laugh when it turns out all these samples are current gen Helix.

That’s too funny. Can you imagine the uproar?