HX Stomp - is it really that much better?

[ReeV0]

So people keep trying to convince me to buy a Line 6 HX Stomp... And I'm not sure why? To be honest from what I've heard of it on YouTube etc, it sounds good but not amazing. And apparently it doesn't have that many effects on it, you actually have to -buy- presets?

There seems to be a lack of videos for bass, I couldn't find any that really demonstrated any synth or modulation bass effects.

I've got a Zoom B3 and have recently also acquired a Zoom MS70CDR, which I did the custom firmware mod to put on a load of other effects from the MS60B as well. Honestly, I love it. I think it sounds great, is easy to use, and has loads of different effects. The distortion isn't great, which is why I was thinking about buying a used Darkglass, as well as a Boss OC5 because the octave isn't great either.

I think that's why others are recommending me to get the Stomp, because it'll be cheaper than those 3 pedals combined. But I haven't seen or heard any proof that the Stomp has similar effects to the Zoom, especially in the mod/synth department... Any thoughts from users?

 

[Mo'Phat]

Line 6 HX Stomp

156 pages of people's opinions.

I love mine. I replaced Zoom with it. The Helix software is loads better than the Zoom B3 generation for sound and processing.

You only buy sounds - Impulse Responses, mostly - if you are looking for a flavor not found in the Stomp. I haven't purchased anything extra other than a 2 button switch to easily scroll presets

 

[Wretched Banana]

There seems to be a lack of videos for bass, I couldn't find any that really demonstrated any synth or modulation bass effects.

No need for guesswork. Helix Native (i.e., the plugin version for your choice of DAW) is free to try for 15 days. Download now and see for yourself how you like the sounds it makes. I did and found so many quirks that weren't obvious from the bazillion videos I've watched.

 

[jasonmitsch]

I really love my HX Stomp. I still have my Zoom B3 and like it as a backup. There is a lot of overlap between the 2, but the HX absolutely wins my ears. If I wasn't making money as a musician I'd just stick with the B3, because it is really great value. But since I can justify the upgrade as a business expense, the HX is also a great value and also modernized.

 

[melloncollie]

The hx stomp is fantastic as is helix native. The number of effects is also fairly size able and is updated pretty regularly.

 

[Zymba]

My first thought: if you already have the Zoom units and love the sounds, keep them. You can easily pick up a used distortion of your choice on the cheap if you're that underwhelmed with the Zoom dirt. I own the B3n (the updated version of the B3) and the HX Effects (which has all the sounds in the Stomp but no amp modeling). I also briefly owned the Stomp itself to compare against my B3n.

In my opinion the quality of sounds in the Zoom are very comparable to the Line 6 stuff. With the Helix line you more parameters to tweak which may or may not be an advantage. I A/B'd the Stomp and B3n for my small board and the B3n won out. The Stomp's amp/cab modeling is very good, if you need that, and I'd give a slight edge to the Stomp here. I found the effects in both units to be very similar in sound quality. When I played through both live any difference in sound which may have been present was totally negated. They both sounded great. The Zoom is MUCH easier to adjust and tweak. It requires no editor and this is an especially big advantage in a live setting. Additionally you'll probably need to buy additional foot switches and/or midi controller to get the full benefits of the Stomp's features. I find the octaver in both units underwhelming and always go analogue when I need that sound.

I use the HX Effects on my big board because my amp/cab sim is handled by another piece of gear and I like being able to access 6 different effects at any given time.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

I too have run into people who are very evangelistic about HX effects. When Line 6 came out in the late 90s, I remember being equally as excited about my POD.

 

[FuzzFacetious]

I've not tried one, but I absolutely love the Boss GT and Headrush Gigboard for Bass, the Zoom b3n is also incredible... B3 is OKAY but you can tell the difference, the B3 has something mildly plasticy and last-gen compared to the B3n, GT1-B, GT-1000, Headrush, etc and it is definitely worth upgrading IMO.

 

[yaksonator]

If you have a Facebook account check out Helix for bass group. Lots of videos and free presets.

The amp/cab sims are arguably worth the price alone. The ability to split signal paths and add gates and crossovers and low/high cuts without using fx blocks makes these units extremely versatile.

This is the admins preset website. Most are made for the stomp.

Link Removed

 

[ReeV0]

If you have a Facebook account check out Helix for bass group. Lots of videos and free presets.

The amp/cab sims are arguably worth the price alone. The ability to split signal paths and add gates and crossovers and low/high cuts without using fx blocks makes these units extremely versatile.

This is the admins preset website. Most are made for the stomp.

Link Removed

Thanks for that link, I'll check it out!

 

[DavidJamesNHBass]

If you have a Facebook account check out Helix for bass group. Lots of videos and free presets.

The amp/cab sims are arguably worth the price alone. The ability to split signal paths and add gates and crossovers and low/high cuts without using fx blocks makes these units extremely versatile.

This is the admins preset website. Most are made for the stomp.

Link Removed

I'm a seasoned, old school player transitioning to a Stomp to emulate some cabs as my rig is now much closer to true FRFR (iAMP 800 pushing Genzlers) than in the past. I was using DG boxes to compress then awaken the tone, SA EQ2 presets to shape, then an H9 to emulate the McCartney sound (which works perfect for everything from a TF Fretless to Sadowsky to Dingwall). Gotta ask, how labor-intensive is it to get the Stomp dialed in? I'd rather be gigging than attempt to be a half-arsed computer programmer. Pics are of the current board and the new one being built. Also, saw your patches, do I just download and then load them into the Stomp? Apologies, not versed in this shite and am on the impatient side.

 

[melloncollie]

I'm a seasoned, old school player transitioning to a Stomp to emulate some cabs as my rig is now much closer to true FRFR (iAMP 800 pushing Genzlers) than in the past. I was using DG boxes to compress then awaken the tone, SA EQ2 presets to shape, then an H9 to emulate the McCartney sound (which works perfect for everything from a TF Fretless to Sadowsky to Dingwall). Gotta ask, how labor-intensive is it to get the Stomp dialed in? I'd rather be gigging than attempt to be a half-arsed computer programmer. Pics are of the current board and the new one being built. Also, saw your patches, do I just download and then load them into the Stomp? Apologies, not versed in this poopiee and am on the impatient side.View attachment 4699995 View attachment 4699996

I think the biggest roadblock that people can run into is that they just start putting a ton of stuff in a chain and don’t really dial any particular piece in. I think the stomp can sound great and isn’t that difficult to use but my advice would be to start with one piece at a time and go from there like you would with the rest of your signal chain.

 

[4Mal]

If you ask is the HX Stomp worth it... I would say maybe. If you ask is the HX Stomp XL worth it... unequivocal YES. I found the 3 button (5 with an external foot switch) limiting. The XL is more like an amp with a selection of effects with on/off buttons - as opposed to a Snapshot Engine where each snapshot is a selction of Amp plus effects that are on or off...

I eventually migrated up to the LT which is more moola but better yet. A used LT is still not cheap but it is very effective.

In addition to @melloncollie 's thought, I would add that Craig Anderton's book available as an e-book at Sweetwater has a chapter dedicated to bass. For me, that chapter was worth the 20 simoleans.

 

[micahwc]

I ended up getting a Helix LT over the stomp because I wanted the extra DSP for playing acoustic and electric guitar in addition to bass.

I sold all my pedals to by it.

100% worth it.

 

[DavidJamesNHBass]

So….my build mock-up above just got scrapped because I found out about the Stomp XL. Back to the drawing board.

 

[boldaslove1977]

My entire pedalboard is a Stomp and a 3-button MIDI switch. That's it.

I still use a real amp. I don't use a ton of effects. But the Stomp is the perfect solution for wide-ranging cover band gigs when I need a specific sound ONCE a night. Saves money and space as opposed to a big pedalboard with individual pedals. I have several song-specific banks. Then just a simple chorus, octave, and a couple different drives that I'll mix in along the way. I've had mixed results with the filter but I'm pretty sure that's operator error. Just haven't found the sweet spot yet.

MIDI switch is set to bank down, tuner, bank up. I actually really like the Stomp tuner. Huge display. Bright. Colorful. Easy to read. Very accurate in my experience.

I've just started to create some synth-y sounds. That is a whole lot of fun. And I'm sure I can find ways to sneak them into songs.

I have messed around with amp sounds at home and they sound great. Haven't used any on a gig.... yet. May try to do a gig without an amp just to see what happens.

 

[Bonecat]

I recently made the change and am very happy with the results. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but this grumpy old fart figured it out in a couple days. My “pedalboard” looks like this now…

I don’t need a ton of effects, etc., for what I do and this gives me what I need. I use this as an ampless rig and as a pedalboard with my amp depending on the situation. I used it as an ampless rig for a month before our lead singer noticed and it sounds very good in FOH. I’m satisfied…