Line 6 Helix Stadium

[paisleywookiee]

I find this post interesting on fractal forum… and logical

baron55​

Member​

• Today at 8:53 AM
• 
  
• #246

Line 6 is owned by Yamaha which is a publicly held company. Publicly held companies spend minimum and try to maximize profits. They will not spend the money to make a great product. Instead, they will spend the minimum amount and try to market it to the masses.

Look at the Helix, they milked that dry with all those silly variations. Helix, HX FX, Helix Light, FX stomp, FX Stop XL, Helix One.

A good indication of quality modeling is to take a preamp model into the real power amp of that amp. It should sound the same when the controls are set like the real amp. Fractal was the first modeler that I ever found this to be true. Line 6 not even close. I have many of the real amps that Fractal models. And they are dead

This is a crazy shortsighted post. Just because they’re publicly traded doesn’t mean it’s profits above all else.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Now I’m daydreaming about an 8x8 XLR I/O digital mixer that can grab the showcase channels from Nexus and route anything through the outputs for IEMs or FOH sends. Four spaces on a rack could replace a splitter, mixer, laptop, and floor processor.

 

[ChordInversion]

The channels thing is so awesome. I’m hoping there’s

This is a crazy shortsighted post. Just because they’re publicly traded doesn’t mean it’s profits above all else.

Also, not all companies are run only with a quarter by quarter focus. Putting money in can pay off (and I would argue has paid off for Line6) in the long run.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

The channels thing is so awesome. I’m hoping there’s

This is a crazy shortsighted post. Just because they’re publicly traded doesn’t mean it’s profits above all else.

Also, "Swiss Studio" is Jean / Francois who is banned from this forum, continuing to shit stir rumours again.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Also, not all companies are run only with a quarter by quarter focus. Putting money in can pay off (and I would argue has paid off for Line6) in the long run.

Right; it's in the shareholders best interests to have happy customers that come back; not a short-sighted quick profit. Sure, that exists too, but there's no one universal truth for public companies.

 

[norminal]

I wonder if this was that original touchscreen that digital igloo mentioned that they wanted to put on the original helix course it’s more advanced but the original concept I wonder if it’s taken from there?

The panel itself or the UI? Apparently the UI was inspired by their StageScape mixer? Not sure about the panel. I’d imagine it’s a better panel than what’s on the StageScape given the age of it.

 

[EOengineer]

Now I’m daydreaming about an 8x8 XLR I/O digital mixer that can grab the showcase channels from Nexus and route anything through the outputs for IEMs or FOH sends. Four spaces on a rack could replace a splitter, mixer, laptop, and floor processor.

Dude I’m right here with you. I’m pumped about new modeling and everything, but the real star is all the gear I don’t have to carry because this does so much. Working musicians win here.

 

[dk_ace]

That being said, I can't think of a - key word here - need in terms of reverb that Helix's current lineup can't answer. Really boingy spring? Check. Subtle vintage-y spring? Yup. Stadium rock plates? You betcha. Rooms are good too.

The ones specifically for ambient like Plateaux and Searchlights? Definitely don't compare as well, but the Dynamic reverbs with the decay turned way up do get beautiful and lush and fare much better. Really love running the newer delays in parallel too.

Particularly good sounding ones without a lot treatment: nope.

Does it have two flavors of spring? Yes. Are either one of them really good compared to an actual spring or some other good digital spring units? No.

The plates do sound decent IIRC, but I’m not a big plate guy. Dynamic hall, close but no cigar.

Again, I can and have played gigs with them and they are ok. They just aren’t anything special. And for what these units cost and the dsp they have, I expect them to be special. I cut a $99 reverb pedal some slack. A $2k flagship? No slack given, it better rip.

I totally get that some people don’t care that much about reverb. There are numerous effects I couldn’t care less about. Amps, delays, reverbs, and drives are where I spend 98% of my time, and I want those to be amazing. Helix reverbs are the weak link for me personally. I chalked that up to limited dsp before. With a new unit with more horsepower, I want to see them be better.

D

 

[Chocol8]

I’d prefer they were available at launch. This launch. Maybe if I say it in multiple languages, such a complex statement would be easier to grasp. Perhaps backwards would work for this crowd. Yoda style: “Available I wish they were. While at launch we are.”

View attachment 46692

We all get what you are saying. We also understand that Yoda, the Enterprise and apparently you are living in fictional fantasy worlds.

You can’t develop complex hardware and software products overnight with a snap of the fingers. Even with an unlimited budget there are limits. Early in my career I witnessed an exchange between an unrealistic executive with your attitude and an engineering project lead who was being grilled about not being able to meet an unrealistic timeline. At one point the exasperated executive said “simply tell me how many people and how much money it will take to get it done by September first.” The lead engineer replied, “What you seem incapable of understanding is that it doesn’t work like that. One woman can have a baby in nine months, but I don’t care how many women and how much money you throw at them, they can’t make a baby in one month.”

In the real world, there is only so much even a company with the resources of Yamaha can get done in a certain amount of time. Can they hire more developers? Sure, but that not only costs money, but it takes a lot of time to recruit, interview, hire and train them. Enough that it could take longer than doing the work with the team they already have. And then what do you do, lay them all off on launch day because the work is done? You can do that exactly once before you find your reputation deeply tarnished and it becomes near impossible to hire and retain good people going forward. It makes a heck of a lot more sense to maintain the team and spread the work load more evenly.

 

[GTR37]

Also, "Swiss Studio" is Jean / Francois who is banned from this forum, continuing to shit stir rumours again.

Is that the aliasing guy
Jean Bloomberg

 

[Mooselake]

I'm not going to front like FM9 doesn't have a deeper, exquisite lineup of reverbs. It does and it's the unparalleled leader amongst every modeling and profiling platform. I don't even think Line 6 would disagree.

That being said, I can't think of a - key word here - need in terms of reverb that Helix's current lineup can't answer. Really boingy spring? Check. Subtle vintage-y spring? Yup. Stadium rock plates? You betcha. Rooms are good too.

The ones specifically for ambient like Plateaux and Searchlights? Definitely don't compare as well, but the Dynamic reverbs with the decay turned way up do get beautiful and lush and fare much better. Really love running the newer delays in parallel too.

The dynamic ambience reverb has turned into an "always on" for me, often in combination with the other reverbs.

 

[Lysander]

The dynamic ambience reverb has turned into an "always on" for me, often in combination with the other reverbs.

Ditto. I find myself using it all the time, specially if i want to play through headphones.

 

[Mooselake]

The channels thing is so awesome. I’m hoping there’s

This is a crazy shortsighted post. Just because they’re publicly traded doesn’t mean it’s profits above all else.

It's amusing to see that kind of stuff when it's addressed to people who have upwards of a decade first-hand experience with "team Helix", as though we shouldn't believe our lying eyes and ears and rather give weight to the cynical spin. Of course the OP fromFractal forum was meant for Fractal fans, but I've read stuff about Stadium and L6's potential future behavior that makes me want to say, "Where have you been since 2015!?"

 

[DLC86]

Is that the aliasing guy
Jean Bloomberg

The Aliasing Guy should be his definitive nickname

 

[sashimi]

Yep, I have dynamic ambience at the end of all of my presets, after usually either hot springs or dynamic plate. When I’m not using the spring/plate it keeps things sounding lively and not totally dry. And it’s a really good sounding ambience, I have also used it as a whole mix reverb on a bus and it sounds as good as anything else I have used for drums or a whole mix. I imagine I would probably turn that off for a live performance but it sounds great in a mix or playing in my living room.

 

[paisleywookiee]

It's amusing to see that kind of stuff when it's addressed to people who have upwards of a decade first-hand experience with "team Helix", as though we shouldn't believe our lying eyes and ears and rather give weight to the cynical spin. Of course the OP fromFractal forum was meant for Fractal fans, but I've read stuff about Stadium and L6's potential future behavior that makes me want to say, "Where have you been since 2015!?"

I love my FM9T, but honestly so much of this stuff is awesome. I'm excited to see where Stadium goes, and I can't wait to try one. If I spent as much time practicing as I do nerding out, I'd be a better player.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

Is that the aliasing guy
Jean Bloomberg

yep, he's the same guy

also side note, he once thought that the 'nexus is the new helix' rumour was true so made a 'nexus users group' on facebook

* Digital Igloo had to comment there and put it straight and then Jean removed the group.

* maybe @iaresee can confirm by comparing between the Yvan Bloomberg account on Fractal Audio Forum, and the Swiss Studio account.
Pretty sure it is Jean, plenty tell tale giveaways, but can't confirm 100%

 

[mikah912]

Particularly good sounding ones without a lot treatment: nope.

Does it have two flavors of spring? Yes. Are either one of them really good compared to an actual spring or some other good digital spring units? No.

The plates do sound decent IIRC, but I’m not a big plate guy. Dynamic hall, close but no cigar.

Again, I can and have played gigs with them and they are ok. They just aren’t anything special. And for what these units cost and the dsp they have, I expect them to be special. I cut a $99 reverb pedal some slack. A $2k flagship? No slack given, it better rip.

I totally get that some people don’t care that much about reverb. There are numerous effects I couldn’t care less about. Amps, delays, reverbs, and drives are where I spend 98% of my time, and I want those to be amazing. Helix reverbs are the weak link for me personally. I chalked that up to limited dsp before. With a new unit with more horsepower, I want to see them be better.

D

I care a ton about reverbs. We just have different taste is all. I think the Dynamic ones are special indeed.

Id love for you and @KingsXJJ to elaborate on what exactly is underwhelming about them (and please identify specific models/types). I feel that I've been detailed in what I enjoy about them....would love to hear more detail from the other side, so to speak.

 

[EOengineer]

I’m assuming it’s still there in stadium, but do we know if the M series legacy effects will still be there?

I have a bunch of ambient stuff that uses the legacy Particle Verb in the stable mode and it would really suck to lose that. That verb has a unique lofi thing that is so musical it just works for me. Part of me wants to see L6 create an updated version of it but it’s kind of a modern classic in my book.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I’m assuming it’s still there in stadium, but do we know if the M series legacy effects will still be there?

I have a bunch of ambient stuff that uses the legacy Particle Verb in the stable mode and it would really suck to lose that. That verb has a unique lofi thing that is so musical it just works for me. Part of me wants to see L6 create an updated version of it but it’s kind of a modern classic in my book.

That's a good question. I bet it is, but I guess it's not a guarantee.