Bought the Stomp a year ago and used it for a while and then stopped. Was going to sell it but figured let me hold onto to it for awhile. Just brought it out again and updated the software....and glad I did. I like it..no regrets.
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Helix/Fractal/Headrush Users-Any Regrets?
- Thread starter Ryan L.
- Start date
Some great info presented for both sides here. I’m still seriously considering it, but I’d have to sell off a bunch of gear to afford it (and remain married).
My lead guitar player is trying to push me towards the Headrush (since that’s what he uses), but I’m still leaning heavily towards the Helix Floor. It looks to me like that unit is more bass-friendly.
My lead guitar player is trying to push me towards the Headrush (since that’s what he uses), but I’m still leaning heavily towards the Helix Floor. It looks to me like that unit is more bass-friendly.
New Helix LT user having leveled up from HX Effects. I was thinking of pairing the HXe with a Stomp but after mulling it over for some time I thought going full LT would make more sense to me. I thought I'd miss the scribble strips from HXe/Floor but the screen is so big and clear its not a problem at all.
Also the I/O on Floor would have been overkill for my needs.
What a piece of gear.
I've thrown together a nice SVT patch ready for rehearsal in a few days but after that I'll spend some time to craft an all-powerful dual amp patch - if anyone has any tips on this I'd be very greatful!
Also the I/O on Floor would have been overkill for my needs.
What a piece of gear.
I've thrown together a nice SVT patch ready for rehearsal in a few days but after that I'll spend some time to craft an all-powerful dual amp patch - if anyone has any tips on this I'd be very greatful!
I've held back from responding to this thread, as I have the pod hd500x, not the helix, but I might possibly offer some insight.
I have a buddy that plays guitar exclusively through a helix and I have messed with it some. The helix is superior to the pod in every way, barring octave effects (maybe). But, with a lot of work you can get about 95% of the way there, the pod just takes more work to get great sounds.
I still will use my pod when I need delay and when I'm running direct or with in ears. It's just a simple setup and great for that. I have recently gone back to some stomps because I got an orange terror bass and that thing is sweet, and the pod robs a bit too much of the amps natural character. My wife asked if I would sell the pod, but I am holding onto it as I could see myself using it exclusively in some settings. I have many banks set up. I have them for straight into amp, direct to the PA, and running the 4 cable method. All three are great ways to utilize it, but they require different settings.
I haven't yet used the pod with the 4 cable method into the orange, and I may, but the natural character of the orange is what makes it so nice, I'm likely to use it that way.
It's very versatile, very flexible, and I'm glad I got it....but unlike what I told my wife when I purchased it, it didn't end up being the pedal to end all pedals.
I have a buddy that plays guitar exclusively through a helix and I have messed with it some. The helix is superior to the pod in every way, barring octave effects (maybe). But, with a lot of work you can get about 95% of the way there, the pod just takes more work to get great sounds.
I still will use my pod when I need delay and when I'm running direct or with in ears. It's just a simple setup and great for that. I have recently gone back to some stomps because I got an orange terror bass and that thing is sweet, and the pod robs a bit too much of the amps natural character. My wife asked if I would sell the pod, but I am holding onto it as I could see myself using it exclusively in some settings. I have many banks set up. I have them for straight into amp, direct to the PA, and running the 4 cable method. All three are great ways to utilize it, but they require different settings.
I haven't yet used the pod with the 4 cable method into the orange, and I may, but the natural character of the orange is what makes it so nice, I'm likely to use it that way.
It's very versatile, very flexible, and I'm glad I got it....but unlike what I told my wife when I purchased it, it didn't end up being the pedal to end all pedals.
I was really excited about my AX8 (Fractal). I even bought studio monitors to help with programming as I wanted a "flat" speaker. Then I bought a Fearless F112 so I could do some programming at gig levels through a FRFR cab. I spent quite a bit of time programming sounds for my different bands and it sounded quite decent in my IEM. But every p.a. system is setup/EQ'd differently. We played several bigger festival stages where our Band Engineer could not get rid of the mud. It is not uncommon for production companies to run the subs 10-15dBs louder than the tops, and it was hard to make quick adjustments on the AX8.
I also own a small production house and have a pretty decent p.a. system (covering crowds of up to 1,500). I run my p.a. flatter and the AX8 sounded decent through it. I have also brought a powered JBL (15") cab for a few one off shows where we couldn't be on IEM. In the end, I determined it was much simpler to go back to pedals. Why try to imitate an MBD-1, Darkglass, FEA, etc., when you can have the real thing (and sound better). I also never really liked any of the cab IRs I tried (I even bought specific ones). So I bought a Noble Preamp/DI and a bunch of pedals. Our B.E. said it was the best my bass(es) had ever sounded. No amps, just very good pedals. The Noble is still my favorite "pedal".
I have more money invested in my board now than with the AX8, but I'm also much happier. YMMV and all that good stuff.
Good luck.
I also own a small production house and have a pretty decent p.a. system (covering crowds of up to 1,500). I run my p.a. flatter and the AX8 sounded decent through it. I have also brought a powered JBL (15") cab for a few one off shows where we couldn't be on IEM. In the end, I determined it was much simpler to go back to pedals. Why try to imitate an MBD-1, Darkglass, FEA, etc., when you can have the real thing (and sound better). I also never really liked any of the cab IRs I tried (I even bought specific ones). So I bought a Noble Preamp/DI and a bunch of pedals. Our B.E. said it was the best my bass(es) had ever sounded. No amps, just very good pedals. The Noble is still my favorite "pedal".
I have more money invested in my board now than with the AX8, but I'm also much happier. YMMV and all that good stuff.
Good luck.
I use an HX effects and I couldn't be happier. I had a HUGE pedal borad, complicated set up, now I used the HX Effects as my board - sometimes with an EBS Valve drive as a final preamp/DI. I've just picked up a pedal board amp (SA) and plan to use this as a small/medium rig. I don't have any amp sims so can't comment on those.
I kept another, smaller pedal board (tuner, HPF, EQ, Envelope Filer and preamp/dirt) when I don't feel like using the Helix (i.e. more old school) and want to knob tweak instead of push buttons, but I find that I use the HX more and more. I am perfectly happy with the sound and flexibility.
I kept another, smaller pedal board (tuner, HPF, EQ, Envelope Filer and preamp/dirt) when I don't feel like using the Helix (i.e. more old school) and want to knob tweak instead of push buttons, but I find that I use the HX more and more. I am perfectly happy with the sound and flexibility.
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I have the Helix floor, but I only use it for guitar. I'm not sold on using it for bass, as of yet (although it does come with some okay factory presets for bass).
I play almost exclusively direct with IEMs. Right now I either use a small pedalboard with an Aguilar Tone Hammer preamp/DI or I just run through my Khan Tube DI. However, I'm open to bringing the Helix, if I can nail down a tone that is relatively transparent with a few basic effects.
Curious... are you guys making your own bass presets? Using the factory ones? Buying presets online?
I play almost exclusively direct with IEMs. Right now I either use a small pedalboard with an Aguilar Tone Hammer preamp/DI or I just run through my Khan Tube DI. However, I'm open to bringing the Helix, if I can nail down a tone that is relatively transparent with a few basic effects.
Curious... are you guys making your own bass presets? Using the factory ones? Buying presets online?
Excellent thread. I am a Helix user currently. I have used the HX Stomp/Effects in the past and always went back to a modular pedal system. For me, the Helix has been a great tool. I play upright and electric bass, synths and guitar through my Helix for my Top 40 function band and original projects. For me, the Helix has been a bit of a godsend with respect to routing. I can hook up 4 instruments to it and hand the soundperson a single XLR. Super handy when having to set up a full stage show with lights and a PA. It is also 100% repeatable from gig to gig.
Another benefit I have noticed is that the Helix allows me to control way more with one or two button presses. I can switch to a radically different sound instantly. Using Snapshots allows one to essentially change everything but the order of effects on one button, which I find invaluable. It can also send MIDI to both my external pedals and to my synth to pull up the patches I need without having to make me scroll through the patch bank (and taking me away from actually playing bass).
The sounds are overall pretty amazing. The dirt options are great and the B7k/Timmy models are top notch. I'm not a huge fan of the cabinets, but I also dislike playing with cabinets in "real life" too. I prefer to go direct whenever possible through a great preamp. I've set up all of my patches so that I just take an amp head or preamp model and run it through an EQ with HPF/LPF and found that this gives me the most natural and pleasing tone on bass. FWIW, I do make all of my patches from scratch. The stock ones aren't bad...but they're kind of over the top and definitely need to be tweaked on a per-user basis. Contrary to bholder, I find the mod options to be pretty great. For the few times a night I need a chorus, I'm never disappointed. The phase 90 model is actually one of the best effects in there, IMO. Reverb and delays are excellent, the compressors as well. Octave is fine if you don't need the OC-2 sound. I thoroughly enjoy it, so I ended up throwing a MXR VBO in the loop. The filters and synths are hit or miss...some people love them, others (like me) find them a bit lacking. I use a Broughton Joshwah for that, and just run it in a loop.
The downsides are sometimes I miss the adjustability of individual pedals, the 100% sound of those pedals and the physical sensation of stepping on a box that I've grown accustomed to. There's also a single failure point, where if something goes wrong your whole rig is shot. Granted this hasn't happened to me or many others, but its a genuine fear of mine.
TL;DR:
Helix is great because it gives you unprecedented routing, consistent sound and unrivaled flexibility. The sounds are way beyond usable and if you can't get a good tone out of it, it's not the Helix. Helix is not so great because it takes time and a bit of trial-and-error to get everything dialed in. Also, if you need 100% of *that* tone of something, you'll probably be a little disappointed. Overall, I'm extremely happy with mine, and I'm a stompbox connoisseur.
Another benefit I have noticed is that the Helix allows me to control way more with one or two button presses. I can switch to a radically different sound instantly. Using Snapshots allows one to essentially change everything but the order of effects on one button, which I find invaluable. It can also send MIDI to both my external pedals and to my synth to pull up the patches I need without having to make me scroll through the patch bank (and taking me away from actually playing bass).
The sounds are overall pretty amazing. The dirt options are great and the B7k/Timmy models are top notch. I'm not a huge fan of the cabinets, but I also dislike playing with cabinets in "real life" too. I prefer to go direct whenever possible through a great preamp. I've set up all of my patches so that I just take an amp head or preamp model and run it through an EQ with HPF/LPF and found that this gives me the most natural and pleasing tone on bass. FWIW, I do make all of my patches from scratch. The stock ones aren't bad...but they're kind of over the top and definitely need to be tweaked on a per-user basis. Contrary to bholder, I find the mod options to be pretty great. For the few times a night I need a chorus, I'm never disappointed. The phase 90 model is actually one of the best effects in there, IMO. Reverb and delays are excellent, the compressors as well. Octave is fine if you don't need the OC-2 sound. I thoroughly enjoy it, so I ended up throwing a MXR VBO in the loop. The filters and synths are hit or miss...some people love them, others (like me) find them a bit lacking. I use a Broughton Joshwah for that, and just run it in a loop.
The downsides are sometimes I miss the adjustability of individual pedals, the 100% sound of those pedals and the physical sensation of stepping on a box that I've grown accustomed to. There's also a single failure point, where if something goes wrong your whole rig is shot. Granted this hasn't happened to me or many others, but its a genuine fear of mine.
TL;DR:
Helix is great because it gives you unprecedented routing, consistent sound and unrivaled flexibility. The sounds are way beyond usable and if you can't get a good tone out of it, it's not the Helix. Helix is not so great because it takes time and a bit of trial-and-error to get everything dialed in. Also, if you need 100% of *that* tone of something, you'll probably be a little disappointed. Overall, I'm extremely happy with mine, and I'm a stompbox connoisseur.
I use the AXE FX II XL. You have everything in a box. I mean, everything! Filters, effect, amps, cabs....... A portable studio in the end.
It takes a little while to really understand how it works, but it's also a lot of fun. And pretty easy with the software that allows you to control it from a PC/MAC.
Once you had fun messing with it, start by using an amp you like and set the tone you like with it. Once this is done, just add the effects you like and your done.
My tone comes from the AXE plugged into the effect loop of my AMpeg SVT 7 Pro. I have to say the tone of the SVT CL from the AXE FX sounds a bit better than the SVT 7. Amazing stuff.
I've set a compressor, 2 OD, a flanger, an EQ, mute/tuner. I control it with the Voodoo Lab ground Control, plugged with a 7 pins MIDI cable to feed the controller.
The flexibility, tone and control is just perfect. I don't need anything else
It takes a little while to really understand how it works, but it's also a lot of fun. And pretty easy with the software that allows you to control it from a PC/MAC.
Once you had fun messing with it, start by using an amp you like and set the tone you like with it. Once this is done, just add the effects you like and your done.
My tone comes from the AXE plugged into the effect loop of my AMpeg SVT 7 Pro. I have to say the tone of the SVT CL from the AXE FX sounds a bit better than the SVT 7. Amazing stuff.
I've set a compressor, 2 OD, a flanger, an EQ, mute/tuner. I control it with the Voodoo Lab ground Control, plugged with a 7 pins MIDI cable to feed the controller.
The flexibility, tone and control is just perfect. I don't need anything else
