Line 6 Helix Stadium Talk

If you have touch capacitance turned on, tapping on the switch will rotate through the assigned devices.

I'm not sure if there's any other indication somewhere, but that would be nice.
I thought I tried this but didn't seem to do anything when I did. It's funny as I have been through the proverbial fires of "interface h#ll" on my FM stuff but I find myself still scratching my head a bit on the easiest thing there is :rofl
 
Last edited:
Billy is just as excited as the rest of us!

1765217878422.png
 
Helix footswitch setup is faster and generally easier than FAS (duh) but sometimes I feel like the desire to make it the "easiest thing ever" kind of obfuscates a layer of what is assigned where? I'll add a Favorite block of whatever in to a preset and the associated blocks/functions create a 'Multiple' scenario on a switch where I can't always see/figure out what is assigned to it on the device and definitely not in the editor. Unless I am missing something obvious?

Snapshot recall setup on the Stomp page doesn't seem to toggle to last used snapshot like it does on the combo page with snapshots either? Unless that's by design?

Whenever I assigned multiple things to a switch, I labeled the switch. If you leave it as “multiple”, you’re just relying on your memory for what it does and my memory isn’t that good especially mid-tune at a gig or rehearsal. It’s pretty easy to figure out though if you didn’t label it, just lightly tap the switch and it will walk you through all the things on the switch. Unless you turned off the capacitive switch stuff, then you’re probably screwed…

D
 
I got a chuckle out of the bright cap discussion here. The first clip I heard of the agoura plexi where I could see the settings, I immediately said to myself “that thing has no bright cap or a very small value bright cap - just wait until the internet figures that out lol.”

To be clear, I find the “correct” bright cap value to be too brash and over the top. I also don’t care for it without a bright cap. My happy place is somewhere in the middle, but in the lower end of the middle values.

I wish they would add a selectable cap value to most amps, it makes them far more versatile across a variety of gain ranges, guitars, and pedals that feed the amp.

D
Well I’m glad you were amused. I definitely did not chuckle. :rofl

Luckily I have the AM4 and a 1959 to scratch that itch. Some of us have been banging the bright cap parameter drum for a couple years now on the Helix side. The agoura 2203 has a bright cap and it’s great.

My hunch is it’s just a very vocal minority of us yelling so it probably gets shrugged off for other priorities. I don’t think the practical functional effect off the various bright cap values is appreciated or well understood by many, including many of the modeling companies.

As I’ve been ramping up on the AM4 and reading the fractal WIKI I’ve noticed Cliff’s own understanding of Superleads, 800s, and the effect of the various bright cap values he’s found has changed as he’s added more and more Marshalls to the Fractal system. He clearly gets it now and it’s pretty easy to get exactly what you’re looking for as far as Marshalls go in the Fractal world.

Adding a bright cap option to the Agoura Plexi would help. I’d personally prefer to see a 70s model show up along with bright cap options but a bright cap on the existing model would help a whole hell of a lot.

I’m not so sure this is an error so much as a very opinionated take on the Plexi that was received poorly by those of us who really love our Marshalls with bright caps.
 
Last edited:
I'm not really the biggest Plexi user except for mid and lower gain these days, but I saw the night and day difference it made when you all got Line 6 to redo the JCM800 with a bright-cap enabled 2203.

That's why I co-sign any similar drum beating about their Plexi. It's a great unit, and it should have the icons (e.g. Plexi, Vox, JCm800, Dual Recto, 5150, etc.) in classic configurations.
 
You can change the cab all day, and it'll inform the Amp's SIC. But if you change the amp in a linked pair, the cab will change to its default. That's why it says "Amp > Cab Link", not "Amp < Cab Link" or "Cab > Amp Link."

This is how it works with Amp+Cab blocks in Helix/HX or Amps and Cabs in POD Go when Global Settings > Preferences > Link Amp/Cab is on. (It is by default.)
What's the behavior when using a dual cab block? Does it just use the SIC characteristics of one of them? In a dual block I usually use two of the same cab as a way to emulate two mics on a single cab, but I've been known to make some odd pairings. And I suppose in theory a person could want to get the effect of having two separate cabs in parallel and load the amp a lot more. Just curious of what the conventions are that Stadium is using, not a request to make it work every which way imaginable.

Also, as a PSA, I've not figured out how to do the amp-cab link on the editor app. The "Link Cabs" option doesn't seem to do anything when selected in the app. But on the unit itself it seems to allow me to make the expected selections.
 
I already have several other parameters assigned. I don't believe there's a way to swap the status just for one value (though I could definitely be wrong).

Yeah, once there's multiple parameters assigned, it's not as easy anymore. Otherwise swapping the on/off status of the switch would be possible.
 
What's the behavior when using a dual cab block? Does it just use the SIC characteristics of one of them? In a dual block I usually use two of the same cab as a way to emulate two mics on a single cab, but I've been known to make some odd pairings. And I suppose in theory a person could want to get the effect of having two separate cabs in parallel and load the amp a lot more. Just curious of what the conventions are that Stadium is using, not a request to make it work every which way imaginable.

Also, as a PSA, I've not figured out how to do the amp-cab link on the editor app. The "Link Cabs" option doesn't seem to do anything when selected in the app. But on the unit itself it seems to allow me to make the expected selections.
While we’re on the SIC questions, how about if you tap a signal split after an amp, but while a L6 cab is connected?
 

Kid going through the focus sections for all the verbs in the box currently. Not sure what is up with the picture quality but interesting to hear it broken out this way nonetheless.
 
I'm not really the biggest Plexi user except for mid and lower gain these days, but I saw the night and day difference it made when you all got Line 6 to redo the JCM800 with a bright-cap enabled 2203.

That's why I co-sign any similar drum beating about their Plexi. It's a great unit, and it should have the icons (e.g. Plexi, Vox, JCm800, Dual Recto, 5150, etc.) in classic configurations.

I think it would be better to give you a few different values to switch between. The 2203 isn’t really a plexi with a bright cap. Brit Trem is closer to that than the 2203. People that love the 2203 model are people that love a 2203.

Compare Brit trem to the helix plexi model. The plexi model has a bright cap, just a really low value one compared to the stock one (Brit trem). There is a certain charm to the stock value for certain sounds, but people removed or lowered them commonly for good reason. Brit trem will give you a good feel for that. On the positive side, if you run the plexi pretty hot and don’t use much other than light boosts in front it does that sound in a really cool way. Try to run it a little cleaner or with many drives and stuff in front of it, and you’ll quickly wish you had a way to ditch that cap.

Knowing the difference, if I had to pick between the stock plexi cap and no bright cap, I’d probably take no bright cap. The amp is just a lot more versatile that way and I can always put a boost in front that gets it close to that bright, shelved thing for the times where I want that.

I hope they add an option for multiple values for it in the future, it doesn’t need to be almost anything you want like fractal. Something like off, low, bright 1, and bright 2 would cover the useful range for most vintage style amps. You could drop that down to 3 options even and be fine.

D
 
I'm not really the biggest Plexi user except for mid and lower gain these days, but I saw the night and day difference it made when you all got Line 6 to redo the JCM800 with a bright-cap enabled 2203.

That's why I co-sign any similar drum beating about their Plexi. It's a great unit, and it should have the icons (e.g. Plexi, Vox, JCm800, Dual Recto, 5150, etc.) in classic configurations.
I made a lot of noise so I’m gonna let it go and hope another model comes down the pipeline some time in the future that does the later metal panel Superlead thing I and some others are looking for.

Without knowing L6’s plans, it’s possible there are other Marshalls or other features (additional deep parameters) that eventually make this a non issue. I honestly don’t know. I feel confident it’s not a broken amp model though.

I’m preferring Agoura’s amps to Fractal and I think L6 could potentially raise the bar for digital Superleads. I think the Agoura 2203 beats any of the 800s I’ve played in the AM4 or anywhere else. That’s the case for several of the Agoura models.

@Digital Igloo is there presently any kind of public facing funnel for Stadium feature/amp requests?
 
Last edited:
I think it would be better to give you a few different values to switch between. The 2203 isn’t really a plexi with a bright cap. Brit Trem is closer to that than the 2203. People that love the 2203 model are people that love a 2203.

Compare Brit trem to the helix plexi model. The plexi model has a bright cap, just a really low value one compared to the stock one (Brit trem). There is a certain charm to the stock value for certain sounds, but people removed or lowered them commonly for good reason. Brit trem will give you a good feel for that. On the positive side, if you run the plexi pretty hot and don’t use much other than light boosts in front it does that sound in a really cool way. Try to run it a little cleaner or with many drives and stuff in front of it, and you’ll quickly wish you had a way to ditch that cap.

Knowing the difference, if I had to pick between the stock plexi cap and no bright cap, I’d probably take no bright cap. The amp is just a lot more versatile that way and I can always put a boost in front that gets it close to that bright, shelved thing for the times where I want that.

I hope they add an option for multiple values for it in the future, it doesn’t need to be almost anything you want like fractal. Something like off, low, bright 1, and bright 2 would cover the useful range for most vintage style amps. You could drop that down to 3 options even and be fine.

D
Obviously my opinion but it’s a design flaw that the real physical Marshalls didn’t at least have a bright cap switch on them. Leo eventually figured this out on the Supers and Twins and it makes all the difference.

If I’m using my Tele or Strat into drives and a cleanish SL, I’m more than likely killing the bright cap or switching down to a really low value. If I’m wanting my Les Paul to scream, I need that cap. I’ve not found a pedal that gives me back what I lose when the cap is clipped in that scenario.

Bright caps can be your best friend or biggest nemesis. Context is everything.
 
Obviously my opinion but it’s a design flaw that the real physical Marshalls didn’t at least have a bright cap switch on them. Leo eventually figured this out on the Supers and Twins and it makes all the difference.

If I’m using my Tele or Strat into drives and a cleanish SL, I’m more than likely killing the bright cap or switching down to a really low value. If I’m wanting my Les Paul to scream, I need that cap. I’ve not found a pedal that gives me back what I lose when the cap is clipped in that scenario.

Bright caps can be your best friend or biggest nemesis. Context is everything.

Couldn’t agree more.

D
 
Back
Top