Line 6 Helix Stadium Talk

The videos don't do it justice at all. In fact, I was kinda let down with what I heard on the official videos. I struggled to get good sounds from the HX Essex A30. It just had a weird breakup character and playing with drives stomps into it was okay at best. The Agoura model is aces. I do 98% of my playing on this model so it needs to sound good. It does not disappoint.
Did you like the HX Matchless? I thought it was much better than any of the Vox's and is regularly praised as one of the best models in the Helix. I would agree.
 
JFC the Stadium latency thread over at the other place. That place is absolutely packed with insufferable shitheads. That was all the reminder I needed to never go there.
Plus, the numbers in that video are off.

A/D > D/A latency on Helix Floor/LT/Rack is 1.8 ms. In part because of its third DSP/coprocessor, Stadium is indeed slightly longer at 2.25 ms.

Agoura amps add a tiny bit more latency than HX amps (due to how impedance curves are implemented) but it completely depends on the amp. For example, we're measuring 2.5 ms with the HiWatt and the HiWatt's matching cab. The video doesn't mention which amp is used but FWIU, none push up to 3 ms.

Cabs don't add any latency, nor do user IRs unless empty samples are added at the beginning to ensure they're phase-locked with others in the bundle (which I understand is fairly common?).

One competitive product hits 4 ms with a single drive, amp, and cab (according to their own specs) and no one seems to complain.
 
I did a thing.

  • Amp sound is a Vox AC30 boosted with a Minotaur, using the default cab 2x12 Silver Bell with 67 Cond mic.
  • In the first half, the amp sound is fed into a Keeley Halo Core pedal connected via Loop 1/2. The Halo Core is set to Andy's settings at a tempo of 125 bpm, set to wet only mode and mixed at 20% in the FX Loop 1/2 block.
HALO-Core-Andys-HALO-Setting-Notecard.jpg.webp
  • The second half of the clip is the Helix Halo emulation using some crisscross delay blocks, EQs and phase reversal stuff with some creating routing to emulate the Halo with those settings.
Screenshot 2025-12-01 at 6.52.40 PM.png


I think I got pretty close to the Halo core sound:

 
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Okay, this bug seems fairly serious. I have a patch for Handle With Care that has two paths (one acoustic, one dirtier, both set to Guitar 2) each with a volume pedal set to Exp 2. The volume pedal wasn't working, so I went to hit the tuner so I could plug in my guitar without a burst of static. But before I could plug in, it went to the splash screen. Now, every time I turn the volume pedal up or down on that patch, I get a splash screen. It's shorter than the initial boot, and I can still play while it's up (there is a brief interruption in sound). Rebooting didn't help. And the last time I tried it before I went to post this, it got stuck with the X in the center of the screen. Other patches seem to work fine after I rebooted. I'm a little afraid to go back to that patch. The behavior persisted even after I reimported from my Helix Floor.

I have a video, but I can't get it to load here (it's a .mov file). Any ideas? Should I just try to recreate that patch from scratch?
 
This tuner is just lovely. Kudos to L6 for this improvement.
I did a thing.

  • Amp sound is a Vox AC30 boosted with a Minotaur, using the default cab 2x12 Silver Bell with 67 Cond mic.
  • In the first half, the amp sound is fed into a Keeley Halo Core pedal connected via Loop 1/2. The Halo Core is set to Andy's settings at a tempo of 125 bpm, set to wet only mode and mixed at 20% in the FX Loop 1/2 block.
View attachment 55761
  • The second half of the clip is the Helix Halo emulation using some crisscross delay blocks, EQs and phase reversal stuff with some creating routing to emulate the Halo with those settings.
View attachment 55762

I think I got pretty close to the Halo core sound:



Great job! Could you post your criss cross settings?
 
I did a thing.

  • Amp sound is a Vox AC30 boosted with a Minotaur, using the default cab 2x12 Silver Bell with 67 Cond mic.
  • In the first half, the amp sound is fed into a Keeley Halo Core pedal connected via Loop 1/2. The Halo Core is set to Andy's settings at a tempo of 125 bpm, set to wet only mode and mixed at 20% in the FX Loop 1/2 block.
View attachment 55761
  • The second half of the clip is the Helix Halo emulation using some crisscross delay blocks, EQs and phase reversal stuff with some creating routing to emulate the Halo with those settings.
View attachment 55762

I think I got pretty close to the Halo core sound:


It's not bad. But the Helix sounds a bit more diffuse to my ears, and the echoes aren't as compressed and don't last for long enough.
 

These are the only IRs I have installed on my Helix. I'm fine with the stock cabs for electric patches, but these Taylor IRs are essential for my acoustic simulation patch. In particular, I like the "Taylor 314ce - DPA 4011.wav" and the "Taylor 314ce - Soundelux E47.wav" IRs.
I don't even have an amp block in the patch. The chain consists of Acoustic Sim>IR>10 Band EQ followed by reverb and delay, then a compressor and High/Low cut EQ at the end. I use Les Pauls exclusively, so its necessary to reduce the bottom end with the EQ. I only need the acoustic simulation for one or two songs at a gig, so this patch works well enough that I don't need to drag an acoustic guitar with me.
 
These are the only IRs I have installed on my Helix. I'm fine with the stock cabs for electric patches, but these Taylor IRs are essential for my acoustic simulation patch. In particular, I like the "Taylor 314ce - DPA 4011.wav" and the "Taylor 314ce - Soundelux E47.wav" IRs.
I don't even have an amp block in the patch. The chain consists of Acoustic Sim>IR>10 Band EQ followed by reverb and delay, then a compressor and High/Low cut EQ at the end. I use Les Pauls exclusively, so its necessary to reduce the bottom end with the EQ. I only need the acoustic simulation for one or two songs at a gig, so this patch works well enough that I don't need to drag an acoustic guitar with me.
Gotta try that. Yesterday I tried Acoustic sim+IR in parallel.
 
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