Line 6 Helix Stadium

[Orvillain]

TBH I don’t think Ben Adrian is much of a high gain player so when they tilted towards the gainier tones he seemed a little lost to me?

I dunno man, pretty sure he's played in a lot of ferocious wall of death type bands.

 

[EOengineer]

I dunno man, pretty sure he's played in a lot of ferocious wall of death type bands.

Perhaps I’m mistaken on the high gain then, but he def seemed lost with that Plexi towards the end.

 

[EOengineer]

Now would be a good time for L6 to drop some high gain brutality put together by someone who lives in that world.

I appreciated the live demo and those cleans/mid gain tones sound great, but these videos are NOT going to quiet the minds of those concerned about high gain and heavy tones.

 

[Lysander]

Now would be a good time for L6 to drop some high gain brutality put together by someone who lives in that world.

From TOP™:

 

[mikah912]

Now would be a good time for L6 to drop some high gain brutality put together by someone who lives in that world.

I appreciated the live demo and those cleans/mid gain tones sound great, but these videos are NOT going to quiet the minds of those concerned about high gain and heavy tones.

There are tons of great high gain demos of the existing Helix and every sound it has is in this box. If anything, the AMS demo just had a couple of unforced errors:

Every time they indulged in well-laid out factory presets (REVV Redemption), the results were great and the included clip brought even more context.

When Ben started pulling up random amps at the end, he was just twisting dials with no rhyme or reason (Why not swipe between focus zones?!? Why not use the search function for metal or high Gain?), and it seemed like he used a common cab across all of those which is even worse.

It won't be but so long before Sonic Drive Studios, John Browne or Leon Todd gets their hands on this, then people can calm down about high gain.

 

[ian_dissonance]

They should give one to Buster Odeholm and see if he can pull his HLB tones out of it.

 

[mikah912]

From TOP™:

View attachment 52444

At this point, there's obviously a deliberate strategy to deprioritize modern high gain in terms of first impressions with the unit. I guess it's a marketing one, but it's not accidental.

We're like, what, 12 videos in without a proper showing. They are REALLY trying to establish its bonafides elsewhere, and I'm sure the gains in dynamics and responsiveness with Agoura are driving that.

 

[EOengineer]

There are tons of great high gain demos of the existing Helix and every sound it has is in this box.

Yes, but I don’t want to pay $2200 for Helix sounds that I already have in Helix Floor and Native. I’m not using those amp models much these days. I’d been migrating back to amps and pedals when Stadium was announced. My Floor hasn’t left its backpack in 6 months.

No doubt there is increased realism in the fenders and Marshalls we’ve seen. I am excited for that, but that alone doesn’t bring enough value to the table. I need to hear something that demonstrates a significant step forward in the high gain realm and, to be fair to L6, I don’t think either of those live demos were the best venue for that.

Really hoping to see something convincing soon.

 

[I S]

At this point, there's obviously a deliberate strategy to deprioritize modern high gain

What do I know, but I feel like you’re overthinking everything. Sit back and relax. You’ll get what you want to hear soon enough without the need to dig a conspiratorial hole for everything that differs from what’s best for you or aligns with your opinion.

 

[PorcinePicker]

At this point, there's obviously a deliberate strategy to deprioritize modern high gain in terms of first impressions with the unit. I guess it's a marketing one, but it's not accidental.

We're like, what, 12 videos in without a proper showing. They are REALLY trying to establish its bonafides elsewhere, and I'm sure the gains in dynamics and responsiveness with Agoura are driving that.

Maybe not 'modern high gain', but the video stated an intent to build a 'brown' tone, with Mark playing very creditable interpretations of Eddie's licks. IMO, the tone wasn't there. Maybe Ben doesn't do 'brown'.

 

[GTR37]

Yes, but I don’t want to pay $2200 for Helix sounds that I already have in Helix Floor and Native. I’m not using those amp models much these days. I’d been migrating back to amps and pedals when Stadium was announced.

No doubt there is increased realism in the fenders and Marshalls we’ve seen. I am excited for that, but that alone doesn’t bring enough value to the table. I need to hear something that demonstrates a significant step forward in the high gain realm and, to be fair to L6, I don’t think either of those live demos were the best venue for that.

Really hoping to see something convincing soon.

I am the same and I don’t think that is unreasonable I have an FM9 that sounds really good so it not a need
As mentioned just like the original helix launch the cleans and EOB are very well represented but even the Plexi go listen to them what the new Synergy plexi module demo from Jon or Studio Rats that Kerrrang and chunk is what I want to hear
Granted again Leterri in not a hi gain guy Ben says it “ I think of you more as a clean / EOB
Jazz fusion player
We need Igor to Gojira it

 

[Orvillain]

I strongly suspect that I don't like the sound of that guitar Mark was using, particularly for high-gain. The proof will only be in the pudding and the eating of, I would suspect that my brain suspects.

 

[HotRats]

Watched the lettieri video and honeslty everything sounded good or really good.
The high gain tones might not have been brutal but I liked the raw nature of every one of them.

The UI and entire forkflow is sick.

 

[mikah912]

What do I know, but I feel like you’re overthinking everything. Sit back and relax. You’ll get what you want to hear soon enough without the need to dig a conspiratorial hole for everything that differs from what’s best for you or aligns with your opinion.

It's a conspiracy to observe a statistical pattern? You seem to be confusing that with a complaint.

I've been clear that I like the slow, deliberate rollout of information and expert expectation-managing done by DI here and elsewhere.

I'm relaxed, but also an engaged observer and big fan of the high gain sounds already in Helix. This isn't panic or worry rearing their ugly heads. I'm simply noticing that they're emphasizing that the biggest differentiator with Agoura is responsiveness and dynamics, and it's natural they'd go deeper into lower gain players and tones to demonstrate that.

For modern high gain, that still matters and people are going to go over the Agoura high gain amp bass response and palm mutes with a fine-tooth comb. But they are deliberately slow playing that, and that's fine. My preorder is as solid as ever.

 

[Lysander]

IMO, the tone wasn't there.

Really? That's odd - when Lettieri starting doing that trademarked those EVH pick scrape things i immediately went "OMG, that's the sound!"

 

[mikah912]

I am the same and I don’t think that is unreasonable I have an FM9 that sounds really good so it not a need
As mentioned just like the original helix launch the cleans and EOB are very well represented but even the Plexi go listen to them what the new Synergy plexi module demo from Jon or Studio Rats that Kerrrang and chunk is what I want to hear
Granted again Leterri in not a hi gain guy Ben says it “ I think of you more as a clean / EOB
Jazz fusion player
We need Igor to Gojira it

If we're talking kerrang, I am definitely looking forward to Michael Nielsen working out the Agoura Plexi/2203/Ecstasy models.

His demo is my favorite of the Synergy JMP ones.

 

[Lysander]

It's a conspiracy to observe a statistical pattern? You seem to be confusing that with a complaint.

Dude, there's been what, 4 sound sample videos released so far? And one of those was for the SLO 100 model, which sounded awesome.

 

[mikah912]

Yes, but I don’t want to pay $2200 for Helix sounds that I already have in Helix Floor and Native. I’m not using those amp models much these days. I’d been migrating back to amps and pedals when Stadium was announced. My Floor hasn’t left its backpack in 6 months.

No doubt there is increased realism in the fenders and Marshalls we’ve seen. I am excited for that, but that alone doesn’t bring enough value to the table. I need to hear something that demonstrates a significant step forward in the high gain realm and, to be fair to L6, I don’t think either of those live demos were the best venue for that.

Really hoping to see something convincing soon.

Understood. I think the Agoura Soldano will probably demonstrate the biggest progression. The HX EV Panama and Ecstasy are pretty recent and already sound great. The REVV I expect to be somewhere in between.

Those are all of the new high-gain flavors for now. Hopefully 1-2 more will make it into Stadium 1.2 by Christmas.

 

[Mongillo19]

Remember when DI said he doesn't like sound sample videos

 

[mikah912]

Dude, there's been what, 4 sound sample videos released so far? And one of those was for the SLO 100 model, which sounded awesome.

Yes, I liked the SLO100 video quite a bit. And it features Paul Hindmarsh playing something Van Halen-ish and rolling his volume knob back for a a good bit of it.

Why? To emphasize the expressiveness and responsiveness. Shortly after that we get a clip with the highest gain REVV channel...also with coil splits and all sorts of midgain crunch. And it's for the same reason.

Again...not a complaint. They're deliberately keeping the reins on all-out high gain tones for a very specific reason.