New Headrush pedalboard: Headrush Prime

[dean701]

Certainly understand the concern/sentiment
FWIW, Inmusic has done a decent job supporting the newer MPC Key-61.
They've released numerous firmware updates... as well as developing optional (a la cart) instrument/effects "plugins".

If you're expecting Fractal/Cliff level support with firmware updates, I don't see that happening.
I'd expect to see similar to what Headrush did with the original unit. Firmware updates are fewer/slower than Line-6... but more often than Boss.

The AKAI side of things seems to run fairly well but Inmusic historically seem to buy troubled companies with no long term scope.
Like I said, time will tell. If they stay on top of this it could be good. They found a way to capture in a minute which is a good selling point. If they later add a more advanced algorithm that's even better it's in their favor.
Some Helix owners have wanted capturing, wifi, bluetooth and a touch screen.
Sounds aside for the moment, I see this as an upgraded Helix. Mic input with effects, capturing, touchscreen, wifi, bluetooth, 16 scenes....
When the sounds are on par, it could put Line6 in a reactive position.

 

[jellodog]

Stomptrooper owners, represent!

 

[mbenigni]

The AKAI side of things seems to run fairly well but Inmusic historically seem to buy troubled companies with no long term scope.
Like I said, time will tell. If they stay on top of this it could be good. They found a way to capture in a minute which is a good selling point. If they later add a more advanced algorithm that's even better it's in their favor.
Some Helix owners have wanted capturing, wifi, bluetooth and a touch screen.
Sounds aside for the moment, I see this as an upgraded Helix. Mic input with effects, capturing, touchscreen, wifi, bluetooth, 16 scenes....
When the sounds are on par, it could put Line6 in a reactive position.

There's the quality of the amps and effects to consider, and also the variety. Helix is an industry leader here (second only to Fractal?) whereas Headrush (from what I've read) falls pretty far behind. More importantly, it doesn't look like the HR Prime can run as many simultaneous effects or signal paths as Helix, and that's a permanent hardware design issue.

Agree with regard to the feature set, though. And a lot of buyers won't be thinking "quantitatively" when they first consider the HR Prime.

 

[Digital Igloo]

Right. Sorry, i misread @Bob Zaod 's comment as asking for parallel signal paths - yeah, Stomps cannot do independent paths like Helix does.

They have to share the 8 blocks but HX Stomp’s supported two fully discrete paths since day one. Just make sure the split’s all the way left and panned hard left and right. You can even route path 2 out the sends, so it’ll support two fully discrete paths, each with with mono ins, stereo processing, and stereo outs.

 

[the swede]

Personally i think the MX5 still is the “better” Headrush buy… because its size compared to its features make it a different game compared to the competition. I do prefer the HX Stomp for some reasons (delays, reverbs, effects, the new cabs) but the MX5 can do stuff that’s really fun that I can’t do with the Stomp without some serious outboard investing.

Apples and apples and such…

This is Optimus thread though… keep on…

 

[DrewJD82]

Haha but that’s just it .. the kind of folks I’m thinking of would show up for a restaurant gig with a Bose portable PA, banjo, guitar, finger cymbals and a kick drum. They always seemed completely unperturbed by what the rest of us would deem unwieldy.

This is true. There are a bunch of solo acts down here that do restaurants and bars, they’ve got pretty much a 4’ circle to perform in and they make it work. I was at a Thai joint a few weeks back and the guy had a keyboard on a stand with the Bose PA and an acoustic, he was playing his tracks off the keyboard. A large group showed up and they had to put some tables together to accommodate it, dude automatically took the keyboard off the stand and leaned it against the wall behind him, moved his speakers in and was pretty much performing in a 2’ circle.

The whole time I was thinking about how I was a little bitch at a gig years ago because my pedalboard wouldn’t fit on the stage and I had to put it on the floor in front of the stage, practically in the audience.

 

[dean701]

Helix is an industry leader here (second only to Fractal?) whereas Headrush (from what I've read) falls pretty far behind.

I don't agree that there actually is a market leading device and I certainly wouldn't agree that Helix is the industry standard with the exception of their UI. (capacitive switching is still my favorite.) I've tried most devices and nothing is perfect. I've tried the previous Headrush modeler. The looper is fantastic, the sounds are in there. Some great effects, some need work. I could say that about all devices though.
Every device has its strengths and weaknesses. You can break this down into a million factors including each effect type and quality, user experience, gapless switching,.... it goes on and on. Fractal has great reverbs and delays but since I got my H90, I honestly don't use them anymore. I also prefer TONEX amps over Fractal now. That may change again.
I also believe that every device has the potential to be better and is only a master engineering hire away.
IK has been in the game for a long time but TONEX just put them back into focus. To me, anything can happen.
Capturing is all the buzz right now. If any device can get close enough in its capture process to the source then it pretty much makes the included models irrelevant to me anyway. As well, what's important to me is not the same for everyone else. Some people speak about the Prime being too big. To me, the more buttons and bigger the better. That's not for everyone obviously.

 

[DrewJD82]

Commenting and opinions is just Tim's pastime.

If you read everything he says in the voice of a Sports Commentator (I do), then it makes more sense.

I may or may not read specific people‘s posts in various voices; namely Dave Mustaine‘s and Mickey Mouse’s voices.

 

[mbenigni]

I don't agree that there actually is a market leading device and I certainly wouldn't agree that Helix is the industry standard with the exception of their UI. (capacitive switching is still my favorite.) I've tried most devices and nothing is perfect. I've tried the previous Headrush modeler. The looper is fantastic, the sounds are in there. Some great effects, some need work. I could say that about all devices though.
Every device has its strengths and weaknesses. You can break this down into a million factors including each effect type and quality, user experience, gapless switching,.... it goes on and on. Fractal has great reverbs and delays but since I got my H90, I honestly don't use them anymore. I also prefer TONEX amps over Fractal now. That may change again.
I also believe that every device has the potential to be better and is only a master engineering hire away.
IK has been in the game for a long time but TONEX just put them back into focus. To me, anything can happen.
Capturing is all the buzz right now. If any device can get close enough in its capture process to the source then it pretty much makes the included models irrelevant to me anyway. As well, what's important to me is not the same for everyone else. Some people speak about the Prime being too big. To me, the more buttons and bigger the better. That's not for everyone obviously.

"Helix is an industry leader here..." (Perhaps "in this regard" would have been more clear.) I was referring specifically to the variety of amps and effects modeled, nothing else (much of which is subjective anyway.) My understanding is that the HR model list is pretty limited. Though I could be misinformed here, too.

 

[dean701]

"Helix is an industry leader here..." (Perhaps "in this regard would have been more clear.) I was referring specifically to the variety of amp and effects models, nothing else (much of which is subjective anyway.) My understanding is that the HR stuff is pretty limited in terms of amp and effects counts.

Like you said, it's subjective. The amp count doesn't mean much to me if the captures sound better than the included modeling. The effects are important though but it's not black and white. I can pick fault with any vendors certain effects. Headrush's pitch shifter is very good IMO.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Alternate take.

At this point; it looks like a pile of old plug-ins and "refreshed" 11 rack amp modeling with a pretty screen crammed into a battleship. With latency filled captures. Color me not very interested.

 

[mbenigni]

Alternate take.

At this point; it looks like a pile of old plug-ins and "refreshed" 11 rack amp modeling with a pretty screen crammed into a battleship. With latency filled captures. Color me not very interested.

 

[the swede]

Alternate take.

At this point; it looks like a pile of old plug-ins and "refreshed" 11 rack amp modeling with a pretty screen crammed into a battleship. With latency filled captures. Color me not very interested.

At least… you’re not coming from: only ever have used a 2004 Vox Tonelab SE and still waiting for the next generation modeler to offer any kind of improvent.

 

[Jim Roseberry]

At this point; it looks like a pile of old plug-ins and "refreshed" 11 rack amp modeling with a pretty screen crammed into a battleship. With latency filled captures. Color me not very interested.

The latency on Captures (Clones) is a big downer.
IMO, the JCM-800, Bassman, and Bogner Ecstasy model tones are pretty good.
They can hang with some of the best.

Put another way:
If Headrush reduced the latency on Captures (Clones), it would be an absolute no-brainer (for me).

 

[James Freeman]

IMO, the JCM-800... tones are pretty good.

HR:1 - HX:0

 

[GTR37]

Alternate take.

At this point; it looks like a pile of old plug-ins and "refreshed" 11 rack amp modeling with a pretty screen crammed into a battleship. With latency filled captures. Color me not very interested.

It’s a tough one
I agree with your take pretty much but first the positives

IMO it truly has the best interface
Best file management and best touchscreen implementation so far and cool scribble Oleds

However
IMO it also has the worst form factor and the worst amp modelling
Algos compared to Fractal , L6 and even NDSP

Now had this been an FM5 with fractal modelling and the Prime interface it would be hard to beat

But to me it’s still Headrush (and they have not managed to move the needle much in the tone department, had they partnered and licenced say Atomic for the models it would have been more intresting but revalver was 20 years ago probably even older than the 11 models

 

[JiveTurkey]

It’s a tough one
I agree with your take pretty much but first the positives

IMO it truly has the best interface
Best file management and best touchscreen implementation so far and cool scribble Oleds

However
IMO it also has the worst form factor and the worst amp modelling
Algos compared to Fractal , L6 and even NDSP

Now had this been an FM5 with fractal modelling and the Prime interface it would be hard to beat

But to me it’s still Headrush (and they have not managed to move the needle much in the tone department, had they partnered and licenced say Atomic for the models it would have been more intresting bit revalver was 20 years ago probably even older that the 11 models

Agree completely. That touchscreen looks great. I "wish" it was on something else

 

[paisleywookiee]

HR:1 - HX:0

 

[Bob Zaod]

I don't even have to hear this to know this person is insane.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I don't even have to hear this to know this person is insane.

It's Pedro. We love Pedro.