Line 6 is now pricing itself near fractal territory, will be interesting to see what they bring to the table?

[Richard_G]

Some random thoughts on the topic, for what it's worth...

Line 6 stepping into higher pricing territory with the Stadium makes a lot of sense when you consider what’s actually being offered. It’s not just about chasing Fractal — this unit brings more features, higher performance, and genuinely innovative tools to the table. The user interface and overall UX seem to be a significant leap forward, with design choices that cater to live players, studio users, and — perhaps most importantly — hobbyists, where the bulk of the market really is.

It’s also worth remembering that the Helix Floor launched almost a decade ago. Factor in inflation, rising component costs, and the [topics we’re apparently not allowed to mention even though we’re adults], and it’s not exactly shocking that a next-gen flagship comes in at a higher price point.

One of Line 6’s key advantages is its consistent global pricing and broader distribution model. That makes Stadium particularly competitive in markets like Europe, where Fractal’s pricing and availability often create a high barrier to entry.

Stadium may put some pressure on Fractal, but the bigger disruption could be for Neural, Kemper, Boss, and Fender — especially if Line 6 keeps doubling down on innovation, user experience, and accessibility.

 

[Frodebro]

Some random thoughts on the topic, for what it's worth...

Line 6 stepping into higher pricing territory with the Stadium makes a lot of sense when you consider what’s actually being offered. It’s not just about chasing Fractal — this unit brings more features, higher performance, and genuinely innovative tools to the table. The user interface and overall UX seem to be a significant leap forward, with design choices that cater to live players, studio users, and — perhaps most importantly — hobbyists, where the bulk of the market really is.

It’s also worth remembering that the Helix Floor launched almost a decade ago. Factor in inflation, rising component costs, and the [topics we’re apparently not allowed to mention even though we’re adults], and it’s not exactly shocking that a next-gen flagship comes in at a higher price point.

One of Line 6’s key advantages is its consistent global pricing and broader distribution model. That makes Stadium particularly competitive in markets like Europe, where Fractal’s pricing and availability often create a high barrier to entry.

Stadium may put some pressure on Fractal, but the bigger disruption could be for Neural, Kemper, Boss, and Fender — especially if Line 6 keeps doubling down on innovation, user experience, and accessibility.

I really don’t think that Line 6 is going to be veering too far into Fractal’s lane with Stadium.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I really don’t think that Line 6 is going to be veering too far into Fractal’s lane with Stadium.

Nah. I think Neural, Kemper and Boss should be panicking.

 

[dean701]

I really don’t think that Line 6 is going to be veering too far into Fractal’s lane with Stadium.

I think they are already driving in the same lane. There are tons of professionals that use Helix live...along with other non fractal modeler/amp replacement products. Heck, Malcolm Young used Amplitube to record album parts. (Obviously a little tangential but if you like how it sounds, feels and plays)

 

[SillyOctpuss]

The Fractal Axe Fx III Mark II Turbo has a list price of $2499.99

The new Line 6 Helix Stadium XL has a list price of $2199.99

About three hundred dollars less than a Axe Fx III.

It seems like line 6 is aiming for more professionals and people that use fractal products, but the question is....will the new line 6 stadium XL gear bring something that is a serious contender to Fractal?

I guess time will tell....the Line 6 product is not yet out, so we will have to wait and see.

But it is interesting to say the least. I will be watching this dog and pony show for sure!

 

[Frodebro]

Nah. I think Neural, Kemper and Boss should be panicking.

BOSS doesn’t give a shit, MFX floor units are a tiny, tiny slice of their financial pie.

 

[Richard_G]

Thus far maybe. But I do think they should give a shit going forward.

 

[Frodebro]

I think they are already driving in the same lane. There are tons of professionals that use Helix live...along with other non fractal modeler/amp replacement products. Heck, Malcolm Young used Amplitube to record album parts.

There are tons of professionals using Mesas live, too, but that doesn’t automatically mean that Fractal and Mesa/Boogie are competing for the same market.

 

[dean701]

There are tons of professionals using Mesas live, too, but that doesn’t automatically mean that Fractal and Mesa/Boogie are competing for the same market.

That depends. It's not always binary. A band can use tube amps and still use a digital effects solution.
A band can still use tube amps and not use cabinets.
Conversely they can run any modeler into the return of an amp.
Tons of permutations.
One could just buy the Stadium for Showcase and the control center and maybe just use it as a backup for other things.
Everything is also gig focused. If I'm playing a small pub geared for low volume I'm not bringing a 4x12.

 

[timbuck3]

Some random thoughts on the topic, for what it's worth...

Line 6 stepping into higher pricing territory with the Stadium makes a lot of sense when you consider what’s actually being offered. It’s not just about chasing Fractal — this unit brings more features, higher performance, and genuinely innovative tools to the table. The user interface and overall UX seem to be a significant leap forward, with design choices that cater to live players, studio users, and — perhaps most importantly — hobbyists, where the bulk of the market really is.

It’s also worth remembering that the Helix Floor launched almost a decade ago. Factor in inflation, rising component costs, and the [topics we’re apparently not allowed to mention even though we’re adults], and it’s not exactly shocking that a next-gen flagship comes in at a higher price point.

One of Line 6’s key advantages is its consistent global pricing and broader distribution model. That makes Stadium particularly competitive in markets like Europe, where Fractal’s pricing and availability often create a high barrier to entry.

Stadium may put some pressure on Fractal, but the bigger disruption could be for Neural, Kemper, Boss, and Fender — especially if Line 6 keeps doubling down on innovation, user experience, and accessibility.

I understand all this and I agree I mean prices are only gonna be higher and higher as the years go by plus they can’t exactly price it the same as the OG helix I mean, that would be like shooting themselves in the foot right so the main improvement I see with the stadium is the whole interface Which has now caught up to most other people in modeling. I remember digital igloo had said that they had planned a touchscreen originally but for some reason, they ditch that idea back then like 11 years ago so it’s just the way it is prices are high and going higher on things like this. It’s not like TVs at Best Buy where they’re coming down in price because it’s a whole different market. I’m sure fractal prices will take a jump when they release their newest thing.

 

[Sascha Franck]

BOSS doesn’t give a shit, MFX floor units are a tiny, tiny slice of their financial pie.

Which, btw, is really sad. Their hardware is absolutely excellent and just made to last and it's almost a miracle how they manage to make a unit providing <1ms of overall latency under full load and still provide gapless switching and partial FX spillover. Too bad that their amp modeling stinks in comparison (even if some people find the genuine X amps to be great - I don't) and that onboard editing is a gruesome reminder of how things were like 20+ years ago.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Which, btw, is really sad. Their hardware is absolutely excellent and just made to last and it's almost a miracle how they manage to make a unit providing <1ms of overall latency under full load and still provide gapless switching and partial FX spillover. Too bad that their amp modeling stinks in comparison (even if some people find the genuine X amps to be great - I don't) and that onboard editing is a gruesome reminder of how things were like 20+ years ago.

Since this thread started as a dumpster fire I don’t care about OT. The onboard UI for the GT1K is waaaaaay easier than the GT-6 through GT-10 that I remember, but it’s definitely not anywhere near Helix level. The GX stuff COULD be that easy if there weren’t some weird hiccups in the actual hardware and software (touchscreen isn’t awesome, some stuff doesn’t work the way I think most would expect like the tap to engage/disengage and hold to select/edit) but they’re thiiis close with the BT editor except for the whole portrait orientation-only thing. I know you don’t like the amps, but for my uses (tuning down lower than most basses and standard guitar tuning in the same instrument) I haven’t found any other real or imagined amp model that handles it as well as the X-Amps. I think if they played to their strengths, updated the UI a little more, and figured out a way to get a decent update at least once a year they’d have a much more popular product.

 

[timbuck3]

I liked the gt1 screen for what it was at that price point. Would like to see it on the katana anps

 

[Sascha Franck]

The onboard UI for the GT1K is waaaaaay easier than the GT-6 through GT-10 that I remember

No way. At least for the GT-10 that's not true IMO as it had a dedicated switch for each block. So you'd press that and be taken to the 4 most important parameters of that block mapped to the encoders instantly. Also, there's been that amp A/B switch, so you could balance the two amp models against each other without any scrolling. Really, UI-wise, I take the GT-10 over any other Boss offering. They started really messing things up with the GT-100 - which I then didn't buy exactly because of that.

but they’re thiiis close with the BT editor except for the whole portrait orientation-only thing.

IMO their BTS/mobile sucks ass. Big time even. At least on a tablet, it should work the same way as the computer editor, but no, it's the most clickety-clickety affair instead. Open-close-open-close all the time. An offense to human intelligence and evolution, if there ever was one. Plus it's incredibly slow, not establishing a proper connection pretty often and so on and so forth.

The amps obviously are a matter of taste, but there's not one decent Marshall-ish dirt amp and not one decent, say, Fender-ish clean amp. Just not one. And personally, while I may even agree that they're fine, the X amps aren't for me. Heck, it could even be that the amps in the GT-10 sound better - I still have it here, so I should possibly do a comparison one day.

 

[Gary_W]

Even though it’s decidedly odd to ask the same question on multiple forums and then die of butt hurt when politely challenged, I’ll still have a go at this question.

Last time I bought a high end digital solution nearly 13 years ago it was fractal vs Kemper. I went Kemper. Cheaper in the U.K., I can buy it from a retailer I’m familiar with and, at the time, I thought capturing seemed like a better idea than modelling and I wanted to profile one of my actual amps (I never actually managed to successfully do it so have existed on commercial / public profiles).

This time round? Anything I can buy now (Kemper mk 2, Stadium, Fractal) is going to sound better than my mk1 Kemper. There will be a ‘best’ in that regard - we don’t know which of them will win the pure tone contest yet but they’ll all be awesome enough to make me happy because I’ve been happy with my mk1. That logic is reasonable.

So it comes down to cost and ‘does it do anything else useful to me’. On cost, Kemper mk2 wins easily *but* I personally am struggling with the concept of buying (what appears to be) the same thing again, as much as I’ve liked my mk1. I will be getting better tones vs my mk1 but I was already happy with that side…. It’s doing nothing else that is important to me - YMMV.

So it’s fractal vs line 6 this time around. They’ll both sound awesome but the stadium is cheaper here, I can buy it from a familiar retailer and it’s got loads of extra things in there vs the current fractal. This is where the Stadium really wins for me personally. Vs my mk1 toaster, I’m getting 70 or so current helix models (I’ve tried out Native and really liked a lot of them) plus Agoura. I’m getting the touch screen with focus view which will help me get where I want quickly. Showcase, when it comes will be great….. for me, I’ll be using it for backing tracks with what I’m doing currently. A mic input. Much more flexible routing options. The ability to profile next year. A better looper (that talks to the microphone). Variable input impedance so fuzz works like it should. The statement that it’s got significantly more horsepower than the previous generation and Line 6 history of providing worthwhile updates for many years. There’s more still….

It’s entirely possible that the fractal or the new mk2 profiling will beat the core amp tones on the stadium. It’s also possible that the stadium could win that race too but, as above, I have no doubt any of them will make me happy there. It’s just that there’s so much more stuff which is genuinely useful vs the other two products I could go for. It’s down to the extras for me.

 

[Orvillain]

OP blows goats. I have proof.

 

[Byrdman]

Waiting for the Stadium to be released so I can pick up a used Helix at a great price...

 

[GTR37]

TGP still holds some incredible entertainment value
So the reason why Dwezil did the Line6 video was because he is mad at Cliff for taking so long with AX4 and wanted to light a fire under his a$$

 

[ian_dissonance]

No way. At least for the GT-10 that's not true IMO as it had a dedicated switch for each block. So you'd press that and be taken to the 4 most important parameters of that block mapped to the encoders instantly. Also, there's been that amp A/B switch, so you could balance the two amp models against each other without any scrolling. Really, UI-wise, I take the GT-10 over any other Boss offering. They started really messing things up with the GT-100 - which I then didn't buy exactly because of that.



IMO their BTS/mobile sucks ass. Big time even. At least on a tablet, it should work the same way as the computer editor, but no, it's the most clickety-clickety affair instead. Open-close-open-close all the time. An offense to human intelligence and evolution, if there ever was one. Plus it's incredibly slow, not establishing a proper connection pretty often and so on and so forth.

The amps obviously are a matter of taste, but there's not one decent Marshall-ish dirt amp and not one decent, say, Fender-ish clean amp. Just not one. And personally, while I may even agree that they're fine, the X amps aren't for me. Heck, it could even be that the amps in the GT-10 sound better - I still have it here, so I should possibly do a comparison one day.

I think most of the issues with the BT editor (and the PC editor) is that they’re still using MIDI to change stuff. Loading between presets is the main hang up in both. Seems like most of the amp models after the X stuff in the list sound like the same preamps from previous generations. Marshall and Fender have never been “go to” tones for me and the only one of either I’ve ever owned was a Marshall Mode Four, which I’m told doesn’t sound terribly “Marshall-y”. Boutique for cleans, X-Optima or X-modded/X-Ultra with a boost does everything I’d need.

 

[Jarick]

IMO their BTS/mobile sucks ass. Big time even. At least on a tablet, it should work the same way as the computer editor, but no, it's the most clickety-clickety affair instead. Open-close-open-close all the time. An offense to human intelligence and evolution, if there ever was one. Plus it's incredibly slow, not establishing a proper connection pretty often and so on and so forth.

Agreed, the mobile editor and computer editor are awful. Bad connections, really slow and clunky to use, unintuitive, etc.

I'm really not sure anyone in 2025 is going into a store and looking at the options and coming home with a GT-1000. They still retail over $1200 new but are about $600 on the used market. The GX-100 at half the cost and with a more modern touch screen and nearly all the same features is really more their modern device.

This time round? Anything I can buy now (Kemper mk 2, Stadium, Fractal) is going to sound better than my mk1 Kemper. There will be a ‘best’ in that regard - we don’t know which of them will win the pure tone contest yet but they’ll all be awesome enough to make me happy because I’ve been happy with my mk1. That logic is reasonable.

So it comes down to cost and ‘does it do anything else useful to me’. On cost, Kemper mk2 wins easily *but* I personally am struggling with the concept of buying (what appears to be) the same thing again, as much as I’ve liked my mk1. I will be getting better tones vs my mk1 but I was already happy with that side…. It’s doing nothing else that is important to me - YMMV.

It’s entirely possible that the fractal or the new mk2 profiling will beat the core amp tones on the stadium. It’s also possible that the stadium could win that race too but, as above, I have no doubt any of them will make me happy there. It’s just that there’s so much more stuff which is genuinely useful vs the other two products I could go for. It’s down to the extras for me.

I agree that nowadays it's more about the cost, features, and usability than core tones because the core tones should all be much better than they were 10-15 years ago. These next gen devices all have to build upon what the prior models offer rather than starting from scratch.

Out of curiosity, why are you not considering Quad Cortex and Fender TMP? Of course none of them will run backing vocals so your use case sounds much better for the Stadium.