Line 6 Helix Stadium Talk

[Chocol8]

You know more about your situation than I do but can't you simply use your phone as an hotspot when you're in the woods?

Or get a Starlink Mini so you can stream live porn in 8k while you copy IR's to the stadium...out in the woods.

 

[ccc118]

Which one is the Helix Stadium in this 4-way comparison? The other 3 are real amps - Germino Lead 55, Friedman Plex, Suhr SL67 MkII. Different amps but still fun - Lock in your votes! (Try not to rewind)

He posted the results today and A is the Stadium. It totally fooled me. I thought it was B.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

Was this the same Agoura AC30CC you were dreading before launch? Or was it the HX one?

Dreading might not be the word. Just maybe questioning why they'd choose the CC model. Whatever, it sounds amazing.

 

[HotRats]

No cell coverage there without hiking up to the top of a ridge two miles away. :)

Sascha said it all!

Your phone doesn't need that as it'd just be a local network.

 

[molul]

While it's not anything new, seeing so many feedback demanding better reverbs and delays (meaning the Agoura modelling is top-level confirmed) makes me hope that Line6 will address that sooner or later.

I would rather see poly synth and vocals-oriented blocks before that, but I wouldn't complain.

Although I guess Proxy and Showcase will take most of developers' time for a while before they start polishing other stuff.

 

[marshall2553]

I need to double check my settings on my poly capo. It has a little more warble than I'd like. FAS on the FM3 is just a bit more stable on the tracking without feeling sluggish?

Really? Because according to a few very vocal people at TOP the FAS virtual capo is garbage I'm pretty happy with it, but I also don't have any other modelers to compare it to right now.

 

[mikah912]

While it's not anything new, seeing so many feedback demanding better reverbs and delays (meaning the Agoura modelling is top-level confirmed) makes me hope that Line6 will address that sooner or later.

I would rather see poly synth and vocals-oriented blocks before that, but I wouldn't complain.

Although I guess Proxy and Showcase will take most of developers' time for a while before they start polishing other stuff.

Different people. The algorithmic reverb people they got from Lexicon/Digitech are probably not spearheading Showcase or Proxy.

 

[EOengineer]

From what I remember them saying in the past, the reference plexi is a 68 (assuming they used the same reference amp) which makes sense based on what you're describing. I'm more of a classic rock player, so I actually prefer the earlier ones like this. One thing that's missing is that there is no lead spec 50 watter. Maybe an early metal panel 50 watt is something they could consider adding at some point. That would give another option for people who like the more aggressive plexis.

68 makes sense, and honestly is maybe a more reasonable starting place for a modeler. I don’t think those of us who prefer the 70s sound are the majority. Maybe we get a 70s model later.

Stadium landed and updated. I did two quick tests:

2203 with the same York IRs as I use in the FM3/9 - Every bit as good as the Fractal model. No qualms about using this.

AC30 - Holy mother of God is this amazing! I loaded up the AC30 with default cab/mic and dropped the top boost drive to 3.5. I instantly got the base AC30 tone I was looking for. Was fully prepared to spend time on this because I tweaked for over an hour on the FM9 and didn't get anywhere near this good of a tone, and I tweaked the original HX model for hours and never got here. I didn't even load the IRs I used in the FM9 yet, and I might not. It's that good right out of the gate.

Totally sold on the Stadium. For my particular tones, it is head and shoulders different and above the original Helix and unbelievably easy to get what I'm looking for compared to Fractal. The only weak link are the delays and reverbs, but they're usable, just not Fractal level good.

Glad you’re finding what you’re looking for. I did sit down briefly with the AC30 and found nice tones but I figured you’d learn more in 5 secs playing it than any description I could give. I’m using York Audio as well, good stuff.

 

[crispsandwich]

I posted the instructions for @JiveTurkey, but it's hiding in plain sight:

1. Tap Menu
   
   
   
   
   in the upper left corner of the touchscreen and then tap New Preset
   
   
   
   .The Select Template window appears (below left).
   
   
2. Tap the desired template from which you want to start your new preset. If you’re not sure, tap “Empty Preset.”
3. Tap New Preset
   
   
   
   
   .A new preset is created based on the template you chose (below right).

The New Preset > Select Template window

Thank you!

 

[synthpenguin]

While it's not anything new, seeing so many feedback demanding better reverbs and delays (meaning the Agoura modelling is top-level confirmed) makes me hope that Line6 will address that sooner or later.

I can't see how they won't tbh. Even if a lot of people are fine with them, it's become such an elephant in the room, and almost a meme like how cabs used to be (and still are for people not up to date).

In my mind, the two big "upgrades" people have done by adding external units to Helix setups are amps (e.g. with a Tonex, UA pedal, etc) and reverbs. With the amp part more or less solved, and to be continuously improved upon with new amps, updates, and capture capabilities as time goes on, the reverbs are the big thing, and then maybe a new studio rack type delay too.

I'm really excited to see what they come up with!

 

[Chocol8]

Really? Because according to a few very vocal people at TOP the FAS virtual capo is garbage

My theory, which has never been disproven, is that half the people commenting at TOP haven't played or even been in the same room as the gear they are promoting/bashing, and the other half are stone deaf. Sometimes it is hard to tell which is which.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Really? Because according to a few very vocal people at TOP the FAS virtual capo is garbage I'm pretty happy with it, but I also don't have any other modelers to compare it to right now.

If you're trying to tune a bass down 7 steps, maybe.

 

[crispsandwich]

Stadium landed and updated. I did two quick tests:

2203 with the same York IRs as I use in the FM3/9 - Every bit as good as the Fractal model. No qualms about using this.

AC30 - Holy mother of God is this amazing! I loaded up the AC30 with default cab/mic and dropped the top boost drive to 3.5. I instantly got the base AC30 tone I was looking for. Was fully prepared to spend time on this because I tweaked for over an hour on the FM9 and didn't get anywhere near this good of a tone, and I tweaked the original HX model for hours and never got here. I didn't even load the IRs I used in the FM9 yet, and I might not. It's that good right out of the gate.

Totally sold on the Stadium. For my particular tones, it is head and shoulders different and above the original Helix and unbelievably easy to get what I'm looking for compared to Fractal. The only weak link are the delays and reverbs, but they're usable, just not Fractal level good.

Agreed re: the AC30. I have never really found an AC30 model on ANY modeller that feels right and rips your head off when turned up. However, Agoura model is absolutely stunning and L6 got it bang-on. Probably my fave amp model so far, and I am not usually a fan of those amp types.

 

[synthpenguin]

Yeah, I haven't played a Stadium, but the AC30 immediately stood out to me in the Yvette Young video and in demoes I've heard since. Really great job with that one.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

according to a few very vocal people at TOP the FAS virtual capo is garbage

It's not great, but it's far better now since they fixed what they said wasn't broken in a previous firmware update.

 

[Foxmeister]

Really? Because according to a few very vocal people at TOP the FAS virtual capo is garbage I'm pretty happy with it, but I also don't have any other modelers to compare it to right now.

When I had my FM3, I spent a fair bit of time comparing the pitch shifting on the FM3 vs the Poly Capo on the Helix.

My conclusion at the time was definitely that the Poly Capo tracked better and had less artifacts, but at the expense of using a huge amount of DSP - fine on the Helix, less so on the HX Stomp.

When I had my FM9, I didn't even try the pitch shifting, but to my understanding the FM9 got the new pitch block from the AxeFX III, which was supposedly quite a bit better - I should really try it on my VP4, but I've no idea which version of the pitch block the VP4 has.

As to opinions - there are loads of people who will swear that the QCs pitch shifting is better than the Poly Capo, when it isn't even polyphonic, and has very audible artifacts if you play any sort of clean tone, but are masked somewhat by gain - I broke out my Nano Cortex recently and whilst I'd say it has improved a little from when I had my QC, it still isn't great.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Are you guys doing movie soundtracks or sound design?

Sound "design" is actually something I spend some time with for pleasure. Nothing serious at all, but that's why I know some stuff.

 

[marshall2553]

When I had my FM3, I spent a fair bit of time comparing the pitch shifting on the FM3 vs the Poly Capo on the Helix.

My conclusion at the time was definitely that the Poly Capo tracked better and had less artifacts, but at the expense of using a huge amount of DSP - fine on the Helix, less so on the HX Stomp.

When I had my FM9, I didn't even try the pitch shifting, but to my understanding the FM9 got the new pitch block from the AxeFX III, which was supposedly quite a bit better - I should really try it on my VP4, but I've no idea which version of the pitch block the VP4 has.

As to opinions - there are loads of people who will swear that the QCs pitch shifting is better than the Poly Capo, when it isn't even polyphonic, and has very audible artifacts if you play any sort of clean tone, but are masked somewhat by gain - I broke out my Nano Cortex recently and whilst I'd say it has improved a little from when I had my QC, it still isn't great.

Yeah I had a QC for a while and I didn't think the pitch shifter was leaps and bounds better than the Axe Fx, if at all.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

You guys got me to care about the poly capo now. I was able to load it into the first path along with a comp, volume, pitch (POG), 3 drives, stereo chorus, stereo tremolo, 3 stereo delays, stereo dynamic hall reverb. And I still had room for more. Set tracking to fast and pitched down a whole step. ZERO artifacts in a clean tone, and no detectable latency. This actually blows the Fractal virtual capo out of the water, even in it's current "fixed" state.

 

[GTR37]

Went back and listened to those worship hi gain clips again after listing to Kemper ToneX even Fractal clips is it just me or is there a real visceral raw sound and punch
There ?
The Agoura just seems to have more depth and detail
The 5153 blue , SLO , Bogner red and Jcm800 just sound huge