Line 6 Helix Stadium Talk

[Orvillain]

I remember at TOP getting called out for saying ToneX (on launch) wasn’t nailing the top and bottom end. Quite amusing when V2 comes along and all of a sudden everyone unanimously agrees that it sounds and feels noticeably better. Similar things have happened with the TMP, Fractal and other Helix amp models (like the Invective having bugs). Usually it results in a bug fix and every wins (DI has already said they’re going to take a look at the 5150).

It happens all the time - first there is denial, then once it’s fixed the tide changes.

You could practically set your Alibaba smart mirror with AI calendar, weather, and life-insurance reminder schedule, by this cycle. (Only $99!)

 

[Dimiguitar]

Is that a trend that comes from people who have actually played the unit or just people listening to clips online? Because I’d argue that the Agoura amps are brighter than their HX counterparts.

About myself, I don't have clips to show atm, neither own a stadium. But I've had one over and made EQ matches to test at least some of the gainy sims.

One would have to take my word for it -- and they don't have to -- but there was a consistent lack of high end in these tests vs fractal and captures I've tested to hell and back for accuracy.

I think part of why people care is there's already a very good baseline for these line 6 sims. When you see that, but spot an issue (whether it's caused by amp sims, impedance, some bug, etc), you kinda want to see the perceived problem solved.

That's how I feel, at least.

 

[Dimiguitar]

I think on guitar forums, it is always a pejorative.

First time I noticed this was on Kemper forum, where the reaction of some dudes was to mock whomever said they felt and/or heared differences vs real amps.

Yet now CK says profiling 2.0 has "much more accurate low end". So I guess some people with "golden ears" got something right all along. And these innacuracies are now heard by CK too.

Besides, when someone claims there's no "difference" between amp and capture or model, say in terms of EQ, that can also take a discerning ear to judge.

When well known producer A says there's no difference between Kemper vs amps, many people receive that judgement highly positively exactly because of the producer's listening abilities.

My point being: it can go both ways. You need good ears to make such judgements, whether you're a producer or not. So mocking people on the basis of "golden ears" often seems selective to me.

I think a better approach is just to try and remain honest with ourselves and update our views when it's reasonable to. I don't have to believe I've got magical hearing abilities to do that.

Ps: Of course if by "judging differences" we mean someone's metaphysically subjective experience alone, pointing to nothing else, that's just mind dependent. Not much to be said there, in this context.

But that's not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to getting a whiff of differences that are non mind dependent -- they exist even in the lack of perception of minds.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I know I have some high end loss, but I’ve not been tested. I definitely don’t have these:

View attachment 57196

(For the record, I don’t think “golden ears” is always a pejorative term, but can be)

It's not @Orvillain's golden ears you need to worry about.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

Karl won’t post clips because for whatever reason, having objective data is some kind of issue.

Karl did post clips despite his better judgement, and people who don’t have Stadiums (and never will) that are fans of other platforms began to hear things that aren’t there as soon as which platform was which was revealed, as predicted. The golden-eared, who clutched their pearls at the mention of that label, claim to hear decreased high end in the Stadium once they know which one is Stadium. But, interestingly, not before.

I won’t release the EVH compare because you and the rest of the Stadium detractors would simply declare your favorite the “winner” for reasons that nobody can actually hear. I know what I’m hearing, and there are plenty of others that hear it too.

So let’s not pretend that I’m the one who is against objectivity.