Line 6 Helix Stadium

[Dom Mcsweeney]

I’ve been used to Kemper workflow for years and although you can of course make your own sound, you’re starting with someone else’s idea of what a particular amp and cab combo should sound like (unless you’re using your own profiles). I’ve typically bought commercial profiles and I suppose part of that user experience is buying into the concept that someone else with golden ears is making a perfect capture. Part of me quite liked this - I’ve owned a few actual amps over the years but if you look at the sheer number of models in the Helix? My thoughts were that I’d be hard pressed to get the best out of most of them due to lack of direct experience. I’m probably not alone having the ‘someone else making the perfect capture’ idea stuck in my head as a good thing - I did try profiling my Matamp but it sounded bloody awful. I was told it was a ‘difficult amp’ - maybe that was it but probably my lack of experience with profiling. Whatever, I stuck with buying commercial profiles / using rig exchange / factory profiles.

Having used Helix Native for a couple of weeks, I’ve actually found it easier to get sounds that I like vs scrolling profiles, despite the fact that none of the real amps I’ve actually owned being modelled in there! I had it in my mind that it would be difficult and that I’d spend more time tweaking than playing but that really hasn’t been the case. I’ve really enjoyed playing with the Dumble in native which has more controls than is healthy. If I can cope with that I can cope with anything I suppose. I think the focus view in the Stadium is a genius move that will help people who have ‘I use someone else’s golden ears capture / preset’ mentality. It’s a brilliant way to help understand the places an amp will go and encourage you to experiment without it seeming overwhelming.

Unfortunately my trial of Helix native runs out today so I’ll be back with my Kemper until I can get hold of the Stadium later this year (hopefully!). Fortunately I’ve got plenty of profiles that I enjoy but I’ll miss the way that Native thinks vs going through profiles - it’s been an eye opener for me in terms of how far the competition has come and also how something with such tweaking features doesn’t have to be tweaked that much to get fantastic results. I can’t justify buying the software at full price as opposed to waiting a couple of months to get the XL but I’m going to miss some of the helix amps until I get them again.

There will probably be a sale on Helix Native software at somepoint, definitely happens at least once a year, and you can usually snag it for about half price.

 

[mbenigni]

100% 60+ years old

Tread carefully, young man…

 

[mbenigni]

Happy Birthday

Whose?

 

[Mikael Dez]

Tread carefully, young man…

You’re the coolest boomer on this forum @mbenigni

 

[GTR37]

Whose?

lol wrong thread

 

[Gary_W]

There will probably be a sale on Helix Native software at somepoint, definitely happens at least once a year, and you can usually snag it for about half price.

Thank you - I think you can get it for $99 when you have the hardware? I’m hopeful of having a stadium the first time they hit U.K. stores so, once I’ve got that, I’ll see if I still feel I need the software.

If things get delayed and I don’t have one by Black Friday I’ll see what Native goes for :)

 

[bucephalus]

Thank you - I think you can get it for $99 when you have the hardware? I’m hopeful of having a stadium the first time they hit U.K. stores so, once I’ve got that, I’ll see if I still feel I need the software.

If things get delayed and I don’t have one by Black Friday I’ll see what Native goes for :)

I picked up native for 59usd when I registered my second hand hxfx

 

[EOengineer]

If things get delayed

 

[Gary_W]

A question regarding home recording with Stadium.

I’ve noticed that the specs for the microphone input are that it has a (very nice) 128dB of dynamic range. I’m not 100% clear if it has 48v phantom but I guess so as that’s shown in the current Helix manual so can’t imagine this will go backwards.

For recording vocals, I’m currently using a Focusrite Clarett 4pre (not the plus version) where instrument inputs are 117db and the mic is 118db. There’s the virtual air thing that the Focusrite does but there will be vocal preamps in the Stadium so….. can I reasonably ditch the Focusrite and just go USB 3 in from the Stadium? So use it as the interface entirely. XLR out from Stadium to my powered monitor speakers, use it to record guitar, bass and vocals. Then let it do midi for my keyboard driving vst synths etc within my DAW? Only thing I’d need the Focusrite for would be for acoustic where I’ve got a pair of mics.

Is this reasonable or not? Although the dynamic range rating is clearly much better, am I expecting too much for the Stadium to do all this compared with a dedicated interface (albeit one that’s a few years old now). Sorry if it’s a silly question and I’m missing something obvious. Till now, I’ve been spdif in from my Kemper to the claret as I’ve found the usb interface a bit iffy on there but I’m thinking usb 3 spec plus excellent dynamic range? Maybe Stadium can do all of this?

 

[Orvillain]

A question regarding home recording with Stadium.

I’ve noticed that the specs for the microphone input are that it has a (very nice) 128dB of dynamic range. I’m not 100% clear if it has 48v phantom but I guess so as that’s shown in the current Helix manual so can’t imagine this will go backwards.

For recording vocals, I’m currently using a Focusrite Clarett 4pre (not the plus version) where instrument inputs are 117db and the mic is 118db. There’s the virtual air thing that the Focusrite does but there will be vocal preamps in the Stadium so….. can I reasonably ditch the Focusrite and just go USB 3 in from the Stadium? So use it as the interface entirely. XLR out from Stadium to my powered monitor speakers, use it to record guitar, bass and vocals. Then let it do midi for my keyboard driving vst synths etc within my DAW? Only thing I’d need the Focusrite for would be for acoustic where I’ve got a pair of mics.

Is this reasonable or not? Although the dynamic range rating is clearly much better, am I expecting too much for the Stadium to do all this compared with a dedicated interface (albeit one that’s a few years old now). Sorry if it’s a silly question and I’m missing something obvious. Till now, I’ve been spdif in from my Kemper to the claret as I’ve found the usb interface a bit iffy on there but I’m thinking usb 3 spec plus excellent dynamic range? Maybe Stadium can do all of this?

In essence, yes. This would be possible. Whether you'd be satisfied is another question.

Personally, I don't want my modeller being THAT integral to my recording setup.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I also wouldn't put TOO much importance on A/D noise, it's just one spec among many others and it's extremely unlikely to ever be your bottleneck on any modern gear.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Is this reasonable or not? Although the dynamic range rating is clearly much better, am I expecting too much for the Stadium to do all this compared with a dedicated interface (albeit one that’s a few years old now).

It's kinda reasonable, but I'd defenitely wait before selling the Focusrite.

Dynamic specs aren't all there is about mic ins, it's also about the used op amp. This might as well be of lower quality (we simply don't know yet).

Then, in case you also like to use software amp sims every now and then (or use software monitoring for whatever else), you likely want as low latencies as possible. Quite unfortunately, the current line of HX devices delivers pretty much exactly the opposite (as much as I like them, the latency figures are pretty much horrible, no way around that).

For me personally, it's also a bit like what Orvillain said.

Personally, I don't want my modeller being THAT integral to my recording setup.

Obviously, that depends a lot on your use case, but I'm using my modeling devices in rehearsal rooms, live and what not all the time. And pretty often I just don't feel like putting everything back together instantly when I return home. But I still have my interface sitting there all the time, ready to roll once an idea hits.

 

[Gary_W]

In essence, yes. This would be possible. Whether you'd be satisfied is another question.

Personally, I don't want my modeller being THAT integral to my recording setup.

Thank you - I’d keep the Focusrite anyway as occasionally I need stereo mic. Was just thinking that maybe, just maybe, this would be better quality as it’s newer and the part of the spec they’ve mentioned so far is, on paper, better than I have.

I also wouldn't put TOO much importance on A/D noise, it's just one spec among many others and it's extremely unlikely to ever be your bottleneck on any modern gear.

Fair enough - just wondering if it might turn out better than my current solution

It's kinda reasonable, but I'd defenitely wait before selling the Focusrite.

Dynamic specs aren't all there is about mic ins, it's also about the used op amp. This might as well be of lower quality (we simply don't know yet).

Then, in case you also like to use software amp sims every now and then (or use software monitoring for whatever else), you likely want as low latencies as possible. Quite unfortunately, the current line of HX devices delivers pretty much exactly the opposite (as much as I like them, the latency figures are pretty much horrible, no way around that).

For me personally, it's also a bit like what Orvillain said.



Obviously, that depends a lot on your use case, but I'm using my modeling devices in rehearsal rooms, live and what not all the time. And pretty often I just don't feel like putting everything back together instantly when I return home. But I still have my interface sitting there all the time, ready to roll once an idea hits.

Thank you - I would keep the Focusrite due to sometimes needing stereo mic inputs. I completely take your point about the op amp / rest of the things going on. I appreciate it’s hard to say until we’ve all tried it unless DI chips in and tells us that the mic in is a pristine piece of joy that will compare favourably to a (still very good but getting on a bit) Focusrite.

Shame to hear about the usb performance on the Helix. Maybe, as it’s usb 3, it’ll be rather better on Stadium but time will tell. I haven’t tried the Kemper usb lately but I should…. I know it didn’t make me happy latency-wise when it first came out but it might have improved with subsequent firmware.

For me these days, having it tied to the desk isn’t an issue really as I haven’t played live in maybe 10 years. Arguably I could just move to plugins but I don’t want to give up the idea of getting out there again and psychologically if I went software only it’s a little signpost that says ‘that’s it’. I hope to go again at some point but, if it happens, it’ll most likely be a small cafe style thing with guitar, vocal and maybe backing tracks - I’ve got that as a maybe quite soon but we’ll see. So the primary use for me is doing better at home but the fact that it has a mic input and the ability to run backing would be ideal if what I have in mind actually happens.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Shame to hear about the usb performance on the Helix. Maybe, as it’s usb 3, it’ll be rather better on Stadium but time will tell.

It's not about the USB connection protocol. RME manage to coax world leading low latency figures out of USB 2 since ages. It's really all about the used chipset and proper inhouse driver develompent.
Anyhow, I'd think that L6 is aware of these things and will deliver very noticeable improvements, especially as the Stadium series is even more suitable to also work as the center of a small studio than the OG HX series.

 

[Karl Houseknecht]

especially as the Stadium series is even more suitable to also work as the center of a small studio than the OG HX series

It would be even better suited if they made a rack version…

 

[Sascha Franck]

It would be even better suited if they made a rack version…

Maybe, maybe not. Slapped onto a music stand, IMO the vanilla Stadium should be *the* best thing ever to be edited straight on the unit. A rack unit would very likely not offer the best angle for touchscreen operation, let alone it'd likely be placed less than ideal.
But sure, cables sticking out from the top of a unit mounted on a stand will look less elegant.

 

[ian_dissonance]

It would be even better suited if they made a rack version…

Probably not going to matter when you can remote your whole I/O to a small black box via Nexus.

 

[GTR37]

Saw this on one of the FB groups thought it was pretty cool from Igloo I think

We already have at least three not-yet-announced Agoura amps cooking.

 

[Fireproof]

So exciting.

I can’t wait. This time around with Helix - I’m going to avoid IRs, avoid proxy amps, and only edit on the device. I want to learn how to get the goodness out of it directly and fast.

I remember when I had my Helix LT - I had only done editing on the computer so when I was at a friends or practice session and I needed to do anything beyond minor tweaking - it took me forever.

And then I spent too many hours auditioning IRs and going down that rabbit hole.

With the agoura amps, latest cabs with easy mic manipulation, and focus and hype features - I’m confident all I need is what’s in the box!

 

[mikah912]

So exciting.

I can’t wait. This time around with Helix - I’m going to avoid IRs, avoid proxy amps, and only edit on the device. I want to learn how to get the goodness out of it directly and fast.

I remember when I had my Helix LT - I had only done editing on the computer so when I was at a friends or practice session and I needed to do anything beyond minor tweaking - it took me forever.

And then I spent too many hours auditioning IRs and going down that rabbit hole.

With the agoura amps, latest cabs with easy mic manipulation, and focus and hype features - I’m confident all I need is what’s in the box!

Yeah, I've deep dived into tone creation on the current Helix and I've discovered the Matchless 2x12, 4x12 Greenback 25, Uber V30/T75, Cartographer and XXL V30 cabs do pretty much everything I need across every amp.

I A/B them against my favorite York Audio IRs, and they're all right up there. Little different, but nothing is left on the table.