Line 6 Helix Stadium

[mbenigni]

Same, maybe it’ll be my first FAS device! I’ve never had the money for them and at this point I don’t want to buy one ESPECIALLY just having read his comment. I’ll wait and enjoy the stadium until then! Gotta move my QC before December lol

 

[EOengineer]

Yes it is worrying that his description of the upcoming product (a supercomputer compared to blah blah blah) could just as well describe the current line of AxeFX as the next one. It could also describe my phone.

His comment is vague so I’m cutting him some slack as a consumer. He could be talking about more than CPU power, it’s hard to say.

It certainly played into my own biased perceptions of the unfortunate limits of that platform as a working musician though, which definitely aren’t processing power.

 

[Orvillain]

A while back when I had Kemper, Fractal, Helix, and QC, all side-by-side ... to me the Helix and Fractal stuff were just the best options - Fractal for the sonics, Helix for the workflow... stated in general sense.

I'm really looking forward to Stadium. The more I think about it, and I know I have nothing but gut feel on this, but the more I think it truly is going to impact the industry in a massive massive way.

Interesting times ahead; I'm looking forward to it!

 

[dk_ace]

A while back when I had Kemper, Fractal, Helix, and QC, all side-by-side ... to me the Helix and Fractal stuff were just the best options - Fractal for the sonics, Helix for the workflow... stated in general sense.

I'm really looking forward to Stadium. The more I think about it, and I know I have nothing but gut feel on this, but the more I think it truly is going to impact the industry in a massive massive way.

Interesting times ahead; I'm looking forward to it!

Exactly how I see it. I bet the landscape looks different three years from now and we’ll be able to draw a line right back to the Stadium as to why.

D

 

[AZG]

I don't think Fractal will be hurting. The XL is still about $400 more than an FM9 plus expression. And some will prefer the Fractal amp and effects modeling. I don't think Fractal will feel too much pressure to make a move any time soon. And if they did, I'm not sure they want to go in the same direction as Line6.

Edit - I guess I should read the thread to the end before responding to a post. Didn’t realize Fractal said they are working on a new super computer modeler. Hope it has a better hardware and UI design, cause more horsepower isn’t my number one request for the next generation FA device. Although I wouldn’t mind a little bump

Original post:
I don’t see how Fractal can improve much on the sound, effects, routing, channels, snapshots, etc quality front. The core capabilities are very mature and class leading. IMO hardware layout and design and user interface are where all the low hanging fruit is for them. They don’t need the best UI and hardware design. Just something reasonably competitive with QC, TMP, Helixes, etc to stay top of mind. Core functionality is that good.

 

[timbuck3]

Argh...

67 mm footswitch spacing.

This means I´ll never buy a Helix Stadium. Just for the same reason I´ll never buy a QC.

So your feet are too large?

 

[EOengineer]

A while back when I had Kemper, Fractal, Helix, and QC, all side-by-side ... to me the Helix and Fractal stuff were just the best options - Fractal for the sonics, Helix for the workflow... stated in general sense.

I'm really looking forward to Stadium. The more I think about it, and I know I have nothing but gut feel on this, but the more I think it truly is going to impact the industry in a massive massive way.

Interesting times ahead; I'm looking forward to it!

I realize some are entrenched on one side or the other, so this will probably piss someone off, but I’m going to make a probably bad argument that L6 is further ahead of fractal in UX than fractal is ahead of L6 in modeling.

IMO fractals UX has evolved at a glacial pace over the III generations of offerings. At their current rate I don’t see them ever catching up to L6, which likely isn’t their strategy anyway. L6 making supposed significant advancements in their modeling could make for an even more competitive market this next round.

 

[Lysander]

I realize some are entrenched on one side or the other, so this will probably piss someone off, but I’m going to make a probably bad argument that L6 is further ahead of fractal in UX than fractal is ahead of L6 in modeling.

I think that's objectively true. I really really like Fractal modelling in general, but anyone who believes there's a massive gap between FAS and Helix models is, IMHO, sadly deluded. All the big dogs in the modelling world are trading blows these days.

Fractal still has the edge on their proprietary effects, which are amazing.

 

[Digital Igloo]

@Digital Igloo How are you going to represent the footswitch states and labels? Is it a view similar to Helix LT? How do you access that?

Something akin to Performance View on Helix LT or Play View on Stomp and POD Go. All 12 switches appear on the screen, and we're trying to avoid the disconnect from horizontal splaying some might experience in the heat of the gig, so we make it really easy to recolor presets and snapshots so you always hit the right switch.

Unlike LT, Stadium can of course run 10 stomps in each of its two Stomp modes (plus two external if you set Control A/B as footswitch inputs). So 22 stomps total per preset.

I have aprox the same shoe size, but I´m sure I´m much clumsier than you. For me, the Stomp is cramped. Really disappointed at a personal level. I´ll see you all enjoying your awesome Stadium while keeping my eyes in other alternatives...

Almost no one has complained about the footswitch spacing on HX Stomp (67mm). In fact, this might be the second or third time I've read something like this. Conversely, tens of thousands of people have complained about Helix's chassis size, which is largely dictated by footswitch spacing.

So it seems LINE6 has just recreated a modern version of the Digitech GNX4 w/NAM-like tech(which they didn't develop)
Very creative

Gotta say, this is a weak take.

First of all, outside of the looper or preset clips, Showcase doesn't record audio (despite the fact that our system architect worked at Digitech forever ago). It also can't edit stems. Building a DAW into a guitar processor—at least in 2025—is just begging for disaster.

Second of all, Proxy's sheep icon represents 3 things:

1. Y'know, cloning
2. The Dolly the sheep print ads we used to run way back in '97, '98
3. All of these companies embracing profiling/capture tech are just sheep following in the footsteps of what Christoph Kemper built. Including Line 6!

 

[ian_dissonance]

I’d like to see something like Fractal One. Limited signal chain, but all the cool shit like envelope/pitch followers.

 

[madmarcus1960]

Something akin to Performance View on Helix LT or Play View on Stomp and POD Go. All 12 switches appear on the screen, and we're trying to avoid the disconnect from horizontal splaying some might experience in the heat of the gig, so we make it really easy to recolor presets and snapshots so you always hit the right switch.

Unlike LT, Stadium can of course run 10 stomps in each of its two Stomp modes (plus two external if you set Control A/B as footswitch inputs). So 22 stomps total per preset.

Almost no one has complained about the footswitch spacing on HX Stomp (67mm). In fact, this might be the second or third time I've read something like this. Conversely, tens of thousands of people have complained about Helix's chassis size, which is largely dictated by footswitch spacing.

Gotta say, this is a weak take.

First of all, outside of the looper or preset clips, Showcase doesn't record audio (despite the fact that our system architect worked at Digitech). Building a multitrack recorder into a guitar processor—at least in 2025—is just begging for a disaster.

Second of all, Proxy's sheep icon represents 3 things:

1. Y'know, cloning
2. The Dolly the sheep print ads we used to run way back in '97, '98
3. All of these companies (including us) are just sheep following in the footsteps of what Christoph Kemper built.

I don't get why everyone is so F'n butthurt over an accurate generalization.
1.The concept of an all in one work station existed before this.
2.That's a fact. This will be much more advanced due to TECH marching on.
3.It's a product the marketplace has been asking for for a while
Take a bow and shut the F up alreay.
It wasn't a dig. "recreated a modern version" of the concept.
So y'all can **** me, you oversensitive bunch of crybabies.

 

[Mikael Dez]

I don't get why everyone is so F'n butthurt over an accurate generalization.
1.The concept of an all in one work station existed before this.
2.That's a fact. This will be much more advanced due to TECH marching on.
3.It's a product the marketplace has been asking for for a while
Take a bow and shut the F up alreay.
It wasn't a dig. "recreated a modern version" of the concept.
So y'all can **** me, you oversensitive bunch of crybabies.

Yo my dude maybe you should log off for a bit and come back after a beer or a couple tokes.

 

[Mongillo19]

I don't get why everyone is so F'n butthurt over an accurate generalization.
1.The concept of an all in one work station existed before this.
2.That's a fact. This will be much more advanced due to TECH marching on.
3.It's a product the marketplace has been asking for for a while
Take a bow and shut the F up alreay.
It wasn't a dig. "recreated a modern version" of the concept.
So y'all can **** me, you oversensitive bunch of crybabies.

There's a reason they don't call you intelligentmarcus1960

 

[madmarcus1960]

FYI, the new business model, seems to be annouce a product months before it's fully capable.

 

[Mikael Dez]

FYI, the new business model, seems to be annouce a product months before it's fully capable.

It would have cannibalized sales for the Helix if they had announced a new product was releasing in a year. That’s just business and I understand that.

 

[madmarcus1960]

There's a reason they don't call you intelligentmarcus1960

as i sit here at my job that's made me rich for the last 12 years, yes, I'm a very stupid man.
For engaging with a bunch of whiney b*tches

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

FYI, the new business model, seems to be annouce a product months before it's fully capable.

Apparently you have never become fully capable as well.

 

[madmarcus1960]

It would have cannibalized sales for the Helix if they had announced a new product was releasing in a year. That’s just business and I understand that.

The Helix has been over for a couple of years. There just priming the pump for all the fan boys.

FYI, I own one of just about everything you fool bicker about. i like them all for certain things and admit their weaknesses as well.
It's called being objective, but this IS a messageboard, why would I expect such a civilized concept.

 

[Mikael Dez]

as i sit here at my job that's made me rich for the last 12 years, yes, I'm a very stupid man.
For engaging with a bunch of whiney b*tches

 

[madmarcus1960]

Apparently you have never become fully capable as well.

Oh, I'd advanced by you, that's the problem you can't keep up