Line 6 Helix Stadium Pre-Launch Discussion

[timbuck3]

My Agoura wish list beyond what’s been announced:

Fender:

1. Brown Princeton
2. Brown Deluxe
3. Tweed Deluxe
4. Tweed Twin
5. Super Reverb
6. Vibroverb
7. Vibrolux
8. BF Champ

Marshall:

1. JTM45
2. 2204
3. Jub
4. Club & Country
5. JMP-1

Mesa:

1. Mark I
2. Mark IIB
3. Mark IIC+
4. Rectifier Rev A-G
5. Blue Angel
6. Studio Preamp
7. Triaxis Preamp
8. Simul 2:90 Power Amp w/modes

Orange:

1. Tiny Terror
2. AD30HTC
3. Rockerverb III

Deizel:

1. Herbert
2. VH-4

Misc:

1. Neve 1073 or 1084
2. API 512
3. Pultec EQ
4. 1176
5. SSL EQ

You know…just a couple things.

Forgot the trainwreck

 

[Fireproof]

Forgot the trainwreck

Agreed!

 

[laxu]

@Digital Igloo Have you considered any way to upgrade existing Helix presets to Agoura models? E.g if you have a compatible Agoura model of a Helix amp, importing a Helix preset would give you the option to upgrade the amp model to the Agoura model with e.g the same base Gain/Master/Treble/Middle/Bass/Presence/Resonance settings to start?

Otherwise you need to slap the Agoura model in your preset and A/B until you get to where you want.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Otherwise you need to slap the Agoura model in your preset and A/B until you get to where you want.

It'd be cool if parameters stayed the same when switching from a legacy to an Agoura model (and also when switching between amp and amp&cab blocks, that's possibly overdue since 2015 already...).

 

[molul]

• Helix Stadium will NOT be able to import full-state BACKUPS from Helix/HX. Instead, you'll want to export SETLISTS or export (or drag and drop) individual PRESETS. If you’ve already performed a full-state backup and sold your Helix/HX hardware in anticipation of Stadium, you'll need to find someone with Helix/HX hardware to get your setlists/presets, IRs, and favorites out. Don't worry, I'm sure someone 'round these parts can help and if needed, YGG Customer Service has offered to convert full-state backups to individual folders of setlists/presets, IRs, and favorites so you can then import them into Stadium. CS can be reached at https://line6.com/support/tickets/.

May I suggest an online tool to perform that conversion?

On the other hand, I think Sacha once pointed me to HX Edit for extracting setlists (or was it presets?) from backups

 

[EOengineer]

May I suggest an online tool to perform that conversion?

On the other hand, I think Sacha once pointed me to HX Edit for extracting setlists (or was it presets?) from backups

In theory once someone takes a Stadium backup and pokes around, writing a conversion script to handle some aspects of the Hx -> Stadium migration is likely not a massive lift. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s eventually a tool.

 

[molul]

I think Helix presets and setlists files were json objects (or kinda), but the backup files were binary IIRC.

 

[banned]

DI comment on TOP is a bit of a downer - seems like it's possibly being considered too expensive for present market conditions.

 

[Fireproof]

DI comment on TOP is a bit of a downer - seems like it's being considered too expensive for present market conditions.

What is?

 

[ian_dissonance]

DI comment on TOP is a bit of a downer - seems like it's being considered too expensive for present market conditions.

I don’t think that’s what he said.

 

[eggpl@nt]

I don’t think that’s what he said.

Yeah he literally says they're in too deep to pivot. Everything is too expensive to someone - that isn't a death knell.

 

[laxu]

DI comment on TOP is a bit of a downer - seems like it's possibly being considered too expensive for present market conditions.

This comment?

That just says it's a very unfortunate time to release new products, but it's not like they can wait several years for better conditions. The issue is probably a lot more to do with uncertainty over the current economic conditions.

 

[EOengineer]

Some risk is assumed in that Stadium probably needs to see SOME adoption threshold met to warrant continued future development, but given YGG’s resources and what’s been endured during the Helix lifespan, I guess I’m not too worried.

There’s no doubt a massive investment in R&D involved and there is no way any org the size of YGG is going to pack up and run because the first few years of a decade long run might suck economically.

 

[paisleywookiee]

DI comment on TOP is a bit of a downer - seems like it's possibly being considered too expensive for present market conditions.

I don’t know how you’re arriving at that conclusion.

 

[Digital Igloo]

@Digital Igloo Have you considered any way to upgrade existing Helix presets to Agoura models? E.g if you have a compatible Agoura model of a Helix amp, importing a Helix preset would give you the option to upgrade the amp model to the Agoura model with e.g the same base Gain/Master/Treble/Middle/Bass/Presence/Resonance settings to start?

Otherwise you need to slap the Agoura model in your preset and A/B until you get to where you want.

"Upgrading" might be the wrong word, as while some Agoura amps are based on the same real amps in our museum, others aren't, so there isn't really a 1:1 for everything. But we may perhaps have other solutions in the works.

 

[laxu]

"Upgrading" might be the wrong word, as while some Agoura amps are based on the same real amps in our museum, others aren't, so there isn't really a 1:1 for everything. But we may perhaps have other solutions in the works.

I think end users would mainly care about "hey let's swap the Helix model to the Agoura model of the same amp model". At least I'm thinking of building Helix Native presets ready for HX Stadium and then hopefully just importing those and updating them to whatever new amp/cab sims are available.

 

[banned]

Yeah he literally says they're in too deep to pivot. Everything is too expensive to someone - that isn't a death knell.

Never said it was a death knoll - for all we know, it'll go straight to the top and stay there. I think a lot of people are accepting of this price point now. I do have a plan to buy myself as I really like the sounds I'm hearing (and of course, the functionality).

 

[banned]

I don’t know how you’re arriving at that conclusion.

I think I could have phrased it better. I think Laxu captured it well.

But, I don't my comments are too far off considering DI's comments about L6 pivoting to a lower price point unit with the HD500 in the previous economic downturn

 

[Chocol8]

You are reading way too much into what he said. Last time they chose to make a strategy decision to move to a lower price point. This time they are to far along to make a similar decision. That doesn't mean one strategy is better or worse. That doesn't say the product is too expensive for the market. It says they are going to to go forward with launching a premium product despite uncertain market conditions. Everything else you made up on your own.

 

[sashimi]

I think everyone is making a way bigger deal about [bad thing] than it really is. Everything is already more expensive, from groceries to rent etc, and everyone is already used to it. Stadium/XL are priced competitively for what they offer and anyone complaining about the cost were probably going to complain about the cost even if it were only a couple hundred dollars more than Helix floor. Anyone who can afford a top tier modeler isn’t going broke over a few hundred bucks. Line 6 did the right thing and Stadium will be a huge success.