Line 6 Helix Stadium

[Karl Houseknecht]

getting ready for another 60 pages

Anything to keep this thread going. We have until "fall" and it's not even "sommer" here yet.

 

[Frodebro]

Fwiw, re: Clips

Just as pretty much anyone else, I absolutely like to hear some stuff. But in this very case, pretty much anything else related to the release is much, much more relevant to me.
I mean, while I'm still wondering about some details, while I still (or already) think that certain things possibly could've been done differently (but I won't judge about any of these until there's more information), for me it's still absolutely stunning just how much Line 6 apparently raised the bar regarding all things usability. It's by *far* the most appealing thing with these new units until now. Even so much that I'd say, even if it was only these improvements alone, it'd justify the higher price (or trading any older unit in favour of a Stadium).

So, for me clips (or ideally: first hand experience) almost would be just the icing on the cake (a very welcomed icing, though).

I agree 100%. I have an OG Helix Floor, and I know that the amps sounds I like are in there, so that’s a moot point for me. It’s the usability stuff that has really piqued my interest. I’m not interested in captures or recording on unit, but signal routing, switching and stuff like that is what makes or breaks it for me.

 

[molul]

Honestly the future release of a plugin is huge but I just don’t like turning my Mac on if I don’t have to - I can wait.

I hear you, man. For the last 3 years my way to play at home has been turning my Mac on, opening Studio One and load Helix Native. Not insufferable, but as it's the same desktop where I remotely work, lately I've gradually played less and less.

That's about to change in a month, when I finally buy a Fender FR12 that will be in a separate room. So much looking forward to it.

I love Native, but I'll only use it for recording demos or final guitar tracks. For casual playing, immediacy is key.

 

[HomespunEffects]

... it's not even "sommer" here yet.

 

[molul]

I asked this in a previous post, not sure if here or in the Stadium thread, but it got lost and I'd like to know: do you people know if Helix LT's 1/4" output is balanced?

As my knowledge about audio is very basic, the question would actually be: if I plug a 6m TRS 1/4" cable to that output, may I assume no signal would be lost, as when using a 6m XLR cable in the XLR output?

And if it is balanced, is there any downside to using a TRS cable?

 

[Frodebro]

I asked this in a previous post, not sure if here or in the Stadium thread, but it got lost and I'd like to know: do you people know if Helix LT's 1/4" output is balanced?

As my knowledge about audio is very basic, the question would actually be: if I plug a 6m TRS 1/4" cable to that output, may I assume no signal would be lost, as when using a 6m XLR cable in the XLR output?

And if it is balanced, is there any downside to using a TRS cable?

In basic terms, a balanced 1/4” output is the same as an XLR output, only with different connectors. So a balanced 1/4” output requires a TRS cable to work as an actual balanced output, but that also requires the device at the other end of the cable to have a 1/4” balanced input as well.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I asked this in a previous post, not sure if here or in the Stadium thread, but it got lost and I'd like to know: do you people know if Helix LT's 1/4" output is balanced?

I don't think so. The manual says you should connect a TS plug.

but that also requires the device at the other end of the cable to have a 1/4” balanced input as well.

Or you could just get an adapter cable, which usually makes life a little easier as XLR cables and inputs are around pretty much anywhere.

 

[Lysander]

I asked this in a previous post, not sure if here or in the Stadium thread, but it got lost and I'd like to know: do you people know if Helix LT's 1/4" output is balanced?

Impedance balanced, but, yes.

And if it is balanced, is there any downside to using a TRS cable?

You'll get the same benefits as XLR outputs when it comes to noise rejection but, unlike "real" (fully differential) balanced outs, they can still run into grounding issues.

 

[molul]

In basic terms, a balanced 1/4” output is the same as an XLR output, only with different connectors. So a balanced 1/4” output requires a TRS cable to work as an actual balanced output, but that also requires the device at the other end of the cable to have a 1/4” balanced input as well.

It would be connected to the mixer, so that would be covered. Thanks!

I don't think so. The manual says you should connect a TS plug.

Damn It would be nice if the Stadium had a balanced one. It would help a bit for using Showcase.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Damn It would be nice if the Stadium had a balanced one. It would help a bit for using Showcase.

Well, there's always DI boxes. My personal experience also says that more often than one might expect, proper line levels don't exactly profit from being balanced too much. YMMV.

 

[AlbertA]

The older I get the less patient I become. Damn, I wish all future Helix Stadium products were available from day one. I really want the new features, but I‘m pretty sure the floor version just isn‘t the right thing for my use case. I need something that either fits on my desk or in my DAW. But I also don‘t want to wait several years for the Stadium SKU that suits my needs best.

I think Apple's releases have spoiled a lot of us.

 

[Vic Winters]

We were going to wait to announce this but screw it. If you count models like we did with Helix, Stadium currently has 39 Agoura amps/channels, not 16+6. (The 50th Anniversary Ampeg SVT has 5 channels alone.)

Any chance for a Placater Clean + Dirty in one?

 

[Sascha Franck]

I think Apple's releases have spoiled a lot of us.

You mean like their excellent launch of Apple Intelligence?

 

[AlbertA]

You mean like their excellent launch of Apple Intelligence?

 

[GTR37]

Preset 1: Caverns of Valhalla
Preset B: Plain Vanilla
Preset III: Messy Mark Eye Vee
Preset fore: All the Mids!

1a U2ube critic
1d Timbuck3 where art thee?
2a Hot tub time machine
2b Freeman’s bright caps
3a no direct sunlight

 

[laxu]

I think Apple's releases have spoiled a lot of us.

Apple has had for years stuff like "this feature coming later". Their OS releases are pretty buggy, and the upcoming iOS visual design looks like it will be a shitshow of bad design.

Let's not hold Apple too high here. I like their hardware, but they have really lost the plot on software.

 

[Sascha Franck]

and the upcoming iOS visual design looks like it will be a shitshow of bad design.

And it'll even make it to the full macOS. Let's hope they allow for some ways to switch all the translucent BS off.

 

[AlbertA]

Apple has had for years stuff like "this feature coming later". Their OS releases are pretty buggy, and the upcoming iOS visual design looks like it will be a shitshow of bad design.

Let's not hold Apple too high here. I like their hardware, but they have really lost the plot on software.

That's not what I was referring to - I was referring to hardware launches, their announcement and their delivery being mostly a short time between announcement and delivery.

 

[laxu]

That's not what I was referring to - I was referring to hardware launches, their announcement and their delivery being mostly a short time between announcement and delivery.

Yeah that's fair...as long as you don't want any customized options (mostly for Macs) because sometimes those take a few months from launch.

 

[Elf]

... I do honestly think at this point sound clips are useless. I understand why people want them but I also understand why line 6 isn’t giving them to us yet. There will be plenty of sound clips available in a few months for the bedroom tone experts to criticize, but at least then people will have access to the stadium so that it can defend itself so to speak. Why give people a chance to start crapping on it before it’s even out, based on some over compressed youtube video played back through an iPhone speaker?

I'm in the sound clips and YouTube intro songs are useless to me, I usually skip the intro songs to just see what the unit does and does not, most of those guys after a while sound the same to me.