HX Stomp vs Preamp Pedal - Dilemma

I do exactly this and have tried various setups. The HX Stomp is my favorite by far. It sounds fantastic for bass. Very easy user interface and lots of options if you want / need but simple / quick enough to dial in if you want to keep it simple.
You definitely need to tweak the stock presets / build from scratch for best results and 3rd party Impulse Responses are an improvement over the stock cabs but not that they’re bad just the 3rd party are better and can be had for for just a few $. Highly recommend the HX stomp for bass never been happier with my live / IEM tone.

It’s also easy to incorporate with a stage amp on the occasions you’d like to.

 

I am using IEM with one of my bands.

I am using a pedalboard with 5+ pedals.

In the future, I might jump on the X Stomp wagon.

The reasons I haven't so far are the following:

• I want to keep my signal chain analog
• I don't want to deal with digital menus-I want to be able to make adjustments on the fly
  
• I have several pedals which I like and don't want to get rid of them
• I enjoy buying new pedals-I feel like having one pedal to do it all (i.e. HX Stomp) would not be that much fun

 

No look at Lancaster Audio , or 3 Sigma or ML Sound Lab or Redwirez for some great Impulse Response options.

 

You can try Helix Native -- the DAW plugin with the exact same amps and effects -- on your computer for free for 15 days, and see if you like the sound. You'll also get to know the limitations of Helix, e.g., how many effects you can stack until you run out of DSP cycles, the interface you'll be dealing with, tweakability, etc..

There's also a bug that impacts a reasonably large population where using the plugin just crashes your DAW so folks can't use it at all. That's due to poor DRM implementation on Line 6's part, and they haven't been able to address it in 2 years. Worth finding out how your computer will do in case you want to go all Helix.

Between the software & support frustrations and sounds I've heard out of HX there was enough I didn't like (even though I have no problems with digital processing, I still use and love Guitar Rig 2!), so I went all analog.

The moral of the story: It's worth giving Helix Native a go before you commit.

 

This is going to be my next rig:

 

Or it might be this. Either way, the Simplifier Bass Station is going to be the core of my tone. The only question is whether I stick with Boss for my effects, or go back to tc electronic and add some One Control spice to the mix.

 

Crikey, all that writing dials and switches doesn’t look simple at all!

 

Unless you're going to fully utilize all the loops and connections it offers, or you must absolutely have one box and nothing else, The Simplifier isn't all that great as a pre-amp or cabsim on its own, imho. I'd rather take the Omnicabsim and a separate pre-amp of choice with a voice that'll serve my needs.