Helix Stomp or individual pedals

[LowWay]

In my crystal ball I see a future with a large screen ipad or other tablet mounted on a mike stand with the whole modeling program, your cheat sheet charts, set lists, and lyrics….with wireless switching at your feet. Wireless connection to the bass or guitar.

A few years back, I bought a used line6 hd500x for $300. Built like a tank, and I’m still finding new things it can do. Most of these multi’s kind of neglect the bass player, but I added a bunch of classic bass amp models for a few bucks. The tiny led screen is no bonus, but it is enough to work with, and mostly I use the editing software. The new units with big displays and labeled foot switches tempt, that would be a big improvement.

I picked up a guitar in January and decided to get serious about it. Holy crap! The amp models are just amazing. If I want a sound, I can search YouTube and somebody has made a patch. This is ten year old tech, but it still does an awesome job, and for cheap.

Tech moves so fast these days. Today’s hot shizzle product is tomorrow’s screaming deal on the used market. The quad cortex is beautiful, maybe, one day, it’ll be mine. But for now….I’m good.

The future is now with IK media amplitube and an irig HD X.

Not sure if it’ll do everything the OP asks, but it may. You can use your phone as well if you don’t want an ipad. This would be the smallest rig. Check out the videos on it. Not sure how foot switching would work, but I’m sure there’s an option.

 

[Parzival]

I’ve been a pedal trading fool the last couple years. Finally tired of chasing. Had some awesome pedals and experienced some awesome tones. But I’m ready to move to digital and have fun with it. Just picked up an HX Stomp XL.
I’m keeping my Humboldt, Strobostomp, and a Finally DI on board for now as a crutch and to just use as a mini board straight to amp if ever needed like an outdoor show or something where I don’t want to risk the Stomp.
If I get real comfortable with the Stomp, I’ll just move on with it and the DI. And who knows, maybe down the line to a bigger more powerful unit.
I’m excited about it.

 

[BassikLee]

Thanks for your reply!
What do you use the C4 for that the Helix doesn't cover adequately?
Thanks!
Ed

Synth stuff. To my ear, the C4 is miles ahead of the HX for that.

 

[ashtray]

I put together a pedalboard for guitar, filled with pedals that cost $100-200 each, which isn’t a lot for pedals these days. Problem is I have about 20 pedals I like, but only room for 12 on the board, so I swap some out now and then.

The Helix sounds good and is a simple setup, and has near unlimited sound combinations and settings. Makes a lot of sense if you are using different tones, effects, and effect settings per song. It’s a lot more flexible than a traditional pedal board, and aside from learning how to work it, easier to just set up and be done.

 

[boze]

Y'all are more legit than me with your dialed-in gigging pedal boards/rigs - and again I'm a guitarist. Still feel it's worth adding: I shopped my way up from budget offerings like the NUX Amp Academy and Ampero Stomp. It was really apparent how much less impressive their DSP was.

The HX Stomp remains so popular despite being old hardware because it's still the cheapest of the top shelf options, so personally I wouldn't mess with low end digital: you're not really giving your pickups a fair shot.

Like I mentioned, I use a Bose S1 Pro+ which I think sounds not great direct for both guitar and electric bass. I won't bore you with the pedals I've tried for just simple P90 or humbucker jazz tones but it's been a slog.

The HX Stomp has been a revelation: it's like I'm suddenly able to sidestep even the EQ on the Bose. My pickups sound like they're being played through vintage/classic/modern amps as advertised. The added amp and effects via update for Helix stuff is cool too. And obviously so versatile.

 

[Tonecaster]

Hey Folks,
Thanks for all of your thoughts!
Any ideas on where to DL patches, or are the supplied ones sufficient?
Thanks!
Ed

 

[singlemalt]

You’ll want to register your device with Line 6, used or not. Create your account, download the editor software, and explore the Line 6 community. Lots of patch sharing going on. You’ll get customer support no matter where you bought it.

YouTube will have tons of content, subscribe to the Line6 channel.

 

[secondbestcody]

Hey Folks,
Thanks for all of your thoughts!
Any ideas on where to DL patches, or are the supplied ones sufficient?
Thanks!
Ed

I use a version of Ian Martin Allison’s Ultimate Amp preset that I’ve modified for what I need. I suggest checking out his website for the presets.

 

[amper]

Hey There!
Sorry that this has been asked before, but looking for up to date thoughts & opinions.
I play in a cover band. A small number of songs (e.g.: Love of Money, etc...), need effects. Generally don't use them on my own, or sparingly if so...
Would need to cover:
Chorus, Octave, Envelope, Synth, Reverb/Echo, Dist/Fuzz.
I'm tech savvy, so no issues programming the Helix. That said, I'm a KISS kind of guy. Price not really a concern
Thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
All The Best,
Ed

IMO, the Helix products are overpriced and underpowered compared to the competition, but the only real questions here are pedalboard real estate and total cost. I went with a Boss GT-1000Core, because I feel it’s vastly superior to the Helix products, but YMMV.

At the moment, my main bass pedalboard is almost all Boss, and the GT-1000Core could easily replace my entire pedalboard at less than half the cost of the individual pedals, while taking up a small fraction of the space. But, I am currently using the Core for my main guitar pedalboard.

 

[amper]

Not necessarily in line with the rest of this thread…

I did a hybrid approach with my Boss Core. Had a few dirts/drives that I liked as their own pedals (sometimes in the effects loops), and a VTDI at the end of the chain. Core was somewhere in the middle.

Depending on the tune, the Core would be completely bypassed, or certain effects mixed in, or the only pedal doing pedal stuff.

All secured to a single board, of course.

This is exactly how I use my Core for guitar, and exactly how I would use it for bass, if I did so.

 

[SteveC]

I was at the crossroads about a year or so ago. I had an Empress comp and eq, and a REDDI. I was either going to have a big board or go digital. I decided to go with the future (?) and got a Stomp. Glad I did. Small, light, powerful and versatile. Almost endless options for tone, control and routing. I A/B’ed at a gig (swapping between sets) between my Stomp and my other rig before I committed and no one noticed. I could tell a tiny amount, but not enough to make me want to haul a big, heavy, and expensive board.

Modeling has come a LONG way and with Yamaha owning Line6, I’m confident of quality, support and development.

 

[furym]

In my crystal ball I see a future with a large screen ipad or other tablet mounted on a mike stand with the whole modeling program, your cheat sheet charts, set lists, and lyrics….with wireless switching at your feet. Wireless connection to the bass or guitar.

Not wireless but I played this at Church for a couple of weeks.

 

[Tonecaster]

Not wireless but I played this at Church for a couple of weeks.
View attachment 5225144

Interesting rig!
Can you explain your signal chain?
Are you using IEM's?
Thx!
Ed

 

[furym]

Interesting rig!
Can you explain your signal chain?
Are you using IEM's?
Thx!
Ed

Bass -> Positive Grid Riff -> iPad Bias FX 2 -> Riff -> Khan -> FOH. Yes the monitoring is through IEMs.
It was a fun experiment and sounds amazing but not convenient for switching effects on the fly. It would require adding a bluetooth foot switch to the rig. By that point, it was easier to just go back to my HX Stomp.

 

[Tonecaster]

Bass -> Positive Grid Riff -> iPad Bias FX 2 -> Riff -> Khan -> FOH. Yes the monitoring is through IEMs.
It was a fun experiment and sounds amazing but not convenient for switching effects on the fly. It would require adding a bluetooth foot switch to the rig. By that point, it was easier to just go back to my HX Stomp.

But it portends the future...
Thx!
Ed

 

[singlemalt]

AIRSTEP Smart Multi Controller | XSONIC

I might just grab the amplitude starter suite, it runs about $99.

First, I’ll be exploring the GarageBand version on my iMac.

I’ve watched a few videos on the air step. Mostly for controlling video, but I’m sure it can do other things. I’m doing hours and hours of guitar instruction video, and it would be cool to not have to reach for the mouse or pad to repeat, loop, slowdown.

So cool!

We have come a long way from dragging around a 90 pound, temperamental, tube head, and even heavier cab!

A entire studio of vintage amps on an iPad.

 

[LowActionHero]

Hey John,
Thanks for taking the time to reply!
So, it seems that I'd be able to create one patch for each song if I'm correct? That would save stepping on separate pedals and occasionally bending down to tweak for a specific song...
Also, how are the synth sounds?
Any thoughts on whether the XL is worth the extra money?
Thanks,
Ed

That's basically what I did, with a Zoom B3. Certain effects heavy songs would have their own patch. The rest were a basic main setting I used.

 

[tonymcbony]

To my mind, stomp can be the all in one solution.

However, a couple of extra pedals don’t go astray - I think the comps in the stomp aren’t that nice or at least not particularly intuitive. I run a comp before the stomp (soon to be Empress) and find it’s a much better experience.

I also run a Tonehammer at the end as a DI/easy tune to the room box.

I’ve done countless church and normie gigs with just the stomp and it works well. Catch is that sorting out quirks in levels or tone live is painful, and you have to set it all up prior. They took the warts-and-all approach to modelling so it’s really easy to get a crap sound if you’re not familiar with what’s happening. Compare that to a Tonehammer - AGS on, treb bass at 1, mid level at 9o’clock, and sweep to find your scoop, EZ.

 

[Geddyfleaharris]

I bought a Helix Stomp for that very reason, but in the end it was too much for me and too much of a learning curve. I like to be able to turn knobs and not have to go through menus, an app or a computer. I don't actually play with a lot of different sounds anyway. I sold it and use a couple of mini-pedalboards.

Every time I think it is time to try a multi effect and get rid of my big pedal board, I see a post like this. Which describes me almost to a "T". Then I slide back into the cornfield.

 

[SteveC]

Every time I think it is time to try a multi effect and get rid of my big pedal board, I see a post like this. Which describes me almost to a "T". Then I slide back into the cornfield.

Yeah, I thought this way for a while, too. I still do sometimes. It takes some time and experimenting to get it set, but once it is, it's pretty nice. I was able to get some presets myself that sounded ok, but I have since started using presets that others have made and I am much happier. All I've done is try to be sure the output level is the same for all of them. Not too hard to do. Maybe one day I'll really dig in and tweak all the things myself, but for now, these presets I've downloaded sound great and do what I need.

The convenience of having everything I need (bass, bass synth, effects, tuner, DI) all on a Nano+ board outweighs the rest.