I think the HX ones are pretty good actually. Not sure why the Agoura of the exact same amps sound and feel so different.
Line 6 Helix Stadium Talk
- Thread starter laxu
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I think the HX ones are pretty good actually. Not sure why the Agoura of the exact same amps sound and feel so different.
I just don't understand why people with this mindset bought a 1.0 device and are ready to pronounce judgement about the selection before even the first firmware update?!?
Also, people really, REALLY should be taking another look and listen to the HX amps as well as original ones they'd previously ignored. They sound great in the new hardware.
Sascha Franck
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Please stop making sense!
paisleywookiee
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Good thing the 5150 III is such a generic-sounding amp, so it doesn’t matter to me. 
if the 6505 ends up sounding good as a Agoura, I’ll be happy.
if the 6505 ends up sounding good as a Agoura, I’ll be happy.
paisleywookiee
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The Fractal also doesn’t have 300+ amps. It’s got 300+ amp modes.
Mongillo19
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I mean, I'm not saying it will be like that forever. Idk what the future holds but I never see it reaching the amp selection of fractal.
Im not really talking negatively, I don't think. Just don't really like the 5150 III in the stadium and my other choices are the Panama and Invective. Neither of which are what I want.
In the fractal I have, the III (100w and 50w), III Stealth, FAS Stealth, 5150, 6505+ etc.
Just facts at this point.
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The sic that is loaded seems to really effect the outcome. Maybe experiment?
I wouldn't say it's negative either. It's just we knew right after the June 11th launch that there wouldn't be but so many Agoura choices around launch. They established those expectations early and kept them realistic.
Yup, Fractal has a lot of 5150/5153 variants. In fact, you forgot the FAS 6160 (incredibly underrated model, BTW). I enjoyed them all to varying degrees, but I wouldn't say any were any sort of unobtanium the way I dialed them in. My FM9 patches on those sounded like my FM9 REVV patches which sounded like my my JP2C.
There's only but so much variation through the same IRs dialed to a certain degree of saturation and tightness.
If you don't mind me asking, what are you looking for that you can't get from the Panama, HX 5153 or the Invective?
EOengineer
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It’s not really an either/or scenario, as I bought the two devices for different purposes and always hoped to keep both. The AM4 is for sure sticking around. Stadium is most likely staying as well.So you're now favoring the Stadium over AM4?
Thinking of keeping it again?
The Superlead situation in Stadium bums me out but I’m mostly over it and just focusing on using whats there. I’ll hope we eventually see another SL variant in the platform some time in the future.
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Mongillo19
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I'll give it a go!
Over the last few years I've found that I gravitate to a small set of amp sounds as my core tones - 5 or 6 good unique core sounds is all I mainly use. The fact that a given modeler has 200+ different amps is somewhat superfluous really, I'd never use that many. It is good to have a number to choose from though as the 5 or 6 I'd choose wouldn't be the same amps as someone else...
Karl Houseknecht
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I honestly use such a small handful that this does work. However, Fractal has amps that Line6 doesn’t. JVM, Dirty Shirley, AC20, Splawn Quickrod. All amps I’ve owned and loved. That’s why I’ll keep a Fractal unit around.
Mongillo19
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To me, the real amp and FAS models have a certain weight and bite to them. Slap on an 808 and you are in metalcore heaven. The Stadium model just feels a little congested in the low end but scratchy in the highs. However, perhaps they modeled the 100w EVH (I just thought of that). I dont like those on the FAS either so maybe I'll see how those compare. I go to the 50w blue, 5150 block, 6505+, or 5153 stealth in FAS land .
Karl Houseknecht
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Dial the amp in exactly the same on both platforms and use the same IR for each. I just did that for the Red channel and the comparison between the amp on the FM9 vs Stadium is so close that I couldn't tell which was which unless I looked.
The Stadium has some goofy default settings for this amp and, I'm sorry, a really dumb cab choice. Change those and use a 20 watt greenback cab (preferably the York 5153) and it is glorious.
EV Panama Red (or Fractal 5153 100 W Red)
My settings:
Drive: 2.7
Bass: 6.2
Mid: 3.6
Treble: 5.5
Presence: 8.0
Master: 3.2 <---THIS
Cab: YA 5153 VH20 Mix 01 - no high or low cuts
Mongillo19
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I was comparing the new Stadium EVH Blue to the 50w EVH blue in the FAS. I never use the 100w EVH models in FAS. After I made this realization, yes they sound very similar. I just don't like the 100 versions so at least it checks out
Karl Houseknecht
Roadie
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LOL! Different amps are...different. 
In some ways, Line 6's choice of the OG 100W 6L6 a year ago was a curious one. It took them so long to add it to Helix that the Stealth versions have become more of the standard since.
Honestly, the Oblivion and the REVV models scratch that itch for me more than either Agoura 5153 model.
Honestly, the Oblivion and the REVV models scratch that itch for me more than either Agoura 5153 model.
fiftyshadesofslay
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Been doing a few gigs, both direct and using it in 4cm and have a few thoughts on it, pretty similar to @Orvillain.
- It sounds great. I’ve been using the 800, Bogner Blue and Vox AC30 models. All sound absolutely stellar. I’ve always liked the effects and still think everything just sounds a bit better on the Stadium.
- 4cm is great, I’d go as far as to say it’s the best unit available for this use case now. Absolutely love it.
- There’s lots of bugs. Nothing that’s caused me any major issues, and it’s mainly been when editing, but it definitely has way more than I was expecting. The biggest issue for me has been the Setlists. Sometimes I’ll make a minor tweak, save it and then move preset only to find myself on a random preset elsewhere. I think I remember that’s being fixed soon?
- Editor is great, but it needs an option to wire it as well.
- IR’s are difficult to use, seems you can only select them from the whole library each time you want to change it? Also can’t see the full name on the editor. Could be dependant to my system though.
- Setting up snapshots can be annoying. Possibly user error, but if you have snapshots set up then add a new effect, why does it enable that effect on every snapshot? Really annoying. Is there a workaround? I seem to remember this was OG Helix behaviour too.
- I get a weird hum in 4cm when the tuner is enabled. Gets louder when the screen gets brighter and I’m tuning. Also remember that from OG Helix.
- Coming from QC, I’d really like to see some sort of selectable gig view or other information that you can choose for the screen. Maybe even a full set list or something? There’s a great screen on it, seems a waste to have the signal chain showing during a gig when you’re hardly ever going to need it.
- It survived some drunken twat falling and basically putting their full weight of their arse on it. Absolutely no damage whatsoever. Impressive.
- It sounds great. I’ve been using the 800, Bogner Blue and Vox AC30 models. All sound absolutely stellar. I’ve always liked the effects and still think everything just sounds a bit better on the Stadium.
- 4cm is great, I’d go as far as to say it’s the best unit available for this use case now. Absolutely love it.
- There’s lots of bugs. Nothing that’s caused me any major issues, and it’s mainly been when editing, but it definitely has way more than I was expecting. The biggest issue for me has been the Setlists. Sometimes I’ll make a minor tweak, save it and then move preset only to find myself on a random preset elsewhere. I think I remember that’s being fixed soon?
- Editor is great, but it needs an option to wire it as well.
- IR’s are difficult to use, seems you can only select them from the whole library each time you want to change it? Also can’t see the full name on the editor. Could be dependant to my system though.
- Setting up snapshots can be annoying. Possibly user error, but if you have snapshots set up then add a new effect, why does it enable that effect on every snapshot? Really annoying. Is there a workaround? I seem to remember this was OG Helix behaviour too.
- I get a weird hum in 4cm when the tuner is enabled. Gets louder when the screen gets brighter and I’m tuning. Also remember that from OG Helix.
- Coming from QC, I’d really like to see some sort of selectable gig view or other information that you can choose for the screen. Maybe even a full set list or something? There’s a great screen on it, seems a waste to have the signal chain showing during a gig when you’re hardly ever going to need it.
- It survived some drunken twat falling and basically putting their full weight of their arse on it. Absolutely no damage whatsoever. Impressive.
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Highly recommend picking up one or two of the 1:1 isolators from Orchid. Slap one of those badboiz in the amp-input signal path, and that'll fix the issue I'm sure.
Fucking cow people from the Midlands!
