• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Line 6 HX Effects

A slight fidelity bump is to be expected on newer/better hardware, but the "Legacy" effects are exactly why I still have my M5. I snagged one for about $100 new only a couple months before the HX Effects hit, and it's what pushed me to get the HXFX. But the M5 still too good to get rid of. My absolute favorite chorus in the Helix is still the Dimension, which was an M series model. The Particle Verb is also a personal fav, particularly 100% wet.

5sg.

My M5 is unsellable sadly. There is something wrong with it where the far right knob won't turn to 100%, makes some of the pitch effects unusable. I've tried using midi commands to max it out, but it reverts back to about 98%. It also has that grounding issue that is common where I had to remove the screws. It looks nice on the shelf next to my M9 that passes audio and effects but the screen displays nothing.
 
No sweat. The first three are my main settings, which I've got set up with no treble cut as I control that at my bass. But the Teemah is my Go-To dirt in the HX, and the power is in the Bass/Treble Cut controls. It's good everything from warm tubey grit to Muff style fuzz. Add a 10-band EQ block after it for some nifty tone shaping possibilities.

Teemah Light
- Adds just a real slight rasp and a little extra harmonic content
- nice as an "always on" in some situations
- sounds amazing with my P bass/flatwounds (Dunlop)... Dial the tone knob back to 50% for a super Motown vibe. Nice and warm with just a little tube-ish grit.

View attachment 3941779


Teemah Medium
- I turn this one on when I'm using a pick to add just a little bit of grind to the sound. KILLS on songs like Rebel Yell and The Middle
- A slight bass cut helps tighten the sound up a bit

View attachment 3941781


Teemah Heavy
- For when I need some crunch
- A little more bass cut because there's a quite a bit more gain

View attachment 3941789


Teemah Fuzz
- A good starting point for getting into some great Fuzz territory
- Dial down the Bass Cut for more thickness
- Dial down the Treble Cut for a lot more bite

View attachment 3941799

These things sound freaking incredible. I'm thinking i'm going to use the first one as an always on setting. Love the T-medium and the T-fuzz as well!
 
My M5 is unsellable sadly. There is something wrong with it where the far right knob won't turn to 100%, makes some of the pitch effects unusable. I've tried using midi commands to max it out, but it reverts back to about 98%. It also has that grounding issue that is common where I had to remove the screws. It looks nice on the shelf next to my M9 that passes audio and effects but the screen displays nothing.

Sorry to hear it. I haven't had trouble with mine... yet?

These things sound freaking incredible. I'm thinking i'm going to use the first one as an always on setting. Love the T-medium and the T-fuzz as well!

Right? Glad you dig those settings! That Teemah is my fav drive by a long way, and the Light setting is definitely an "always on" type sound for me as well. Sounds pretty killer with my P bass with flats.

5sg.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LaklandLaksNADA
Sorry to hear it. I haven't had trouble with mine... yet?



Right? Glad you dig those settings! That Teemah is my fav drive by a long way, and the Light setting is definitely an "always on" type sound for me as well. Sounds pretty killer with my P bass with flats.

5sg.
I can see how it'd sound good with a flatP too. I tried it with what I typically run and it sat nicely with a J with the neck pickup slightly rolled off and tone 100%
 
  • Like
Reactions: fivestringgecko
My M5 is unsellable sadly. There is something wrong with it where the far right knob won't turn to 100%, makes some of the pitch effects unusable. I've tried using midi commands to max it out, but it reverts back to about 98%. It also has that grounding issue that is common where I had to remove the screws. It looks nice on the shelf next to my M9 that passes audio and effects but the screen displays nothing.

I’ve known some guitar players who would be the perfect sales audience for you- their sense of pitch was always at least 2% off....
 
  • Like
Reactions: jasonmitsch
So I know this might get me booted because I say (acoustic guitar)...but here goes.

My church needs me to play acoustic for something this weekend - super broken down setup running into some powered speakers (sigh.....but i digress)

I'd love to run the acoustic and the vocals through my HXFX to get some semblance of mixing/EQ... I know signal path wise how to accomplish this, but is the hx capable of having vocals and acoustic run through it at the same time?

Edit to add: outdoor, small gathering, at a park. Covid guideline compliant (tbh if it wasn't I wouldn't go. I was knocked out with COVID for a month. Wouldn't wish it on anyone)
 
My first HXFX switch toppers were these Rockboard black metal dome shaped tops.
6F14293D-D40D-4407-9198-0CAA23DF4311.jpeg


They attached securely, looked really cool, reacted to my touch capacitance, and were easy to target and engage. The only downside was, when standing directly overhead, which is where I usually find myself, you could not see the LED rings when lit up.
Then I saw a link on TB to a small company called Gear By CEBA.

C3DC6A39-A12F-4BE0-846D-B86741E9A57E.jpeg

A682C46F-B6A7-451C-B78D-2428338A37E1.jpeg


They are clear acrylic(?) so they light up nicely, attach by magnet, which allows touch activation, and even though there is a small amount of play, they trigger the switch no matter what part of the topper you come down on. Not quite as sexy as a black metal mushroom, but I much prefer the visual color confirmation. And the installation with magnets was pretty sweet.

Maybe someday I’ll find out how well they travel and work in a gig.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
My first HXFX switch toppers were these Rockboard black metal dome shaped tops.
View attachment 3954945

They attached securely, looked really cool, reacted to my touch capacitance, and were easy to target and engage. The only downside was, when standing directly overhead, which is where I usually find myself, you could not see the LED rings when lit up.
Then I saw a link on TB to a small company called Gear By CEBA.

View attachment 3954948
View attachment 3954947

They are clear acrylic(?) so they light up nicely, attach by magnet, which allows touch activation, and even though there is a small amount of play, they trigger the switch no matter what part of the topper you come down on. Not quite as sexy as a black metal mushroom, but I much prefer the visual color confirmation. And the installation with magnets was pretty sweet.

Maybe someday I’ll find out how well they travel and work in a gig.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Nice! I just got my barefoots in today!

20200822_120901.jpg
 
My first HXFX switch toppers were these Rockboard black metal dome shaped tops.
View attachment 3954945

They attached securely, looked really cool, reacted to my touch capacitance, and were easy to target and engage. The only downside was, when standing directly overhead, which is where I usually find myself, you could not see the LED rings when lit up.
Then I saw a link on TB to a small company called Gear By CEBA.

View attachment 3954948
View attachment 3954947

They are clear acrylic(?) so they light up nicely, attach by magnet, which allows touch activation, and even though there is a small amount of play, they trigger the switch no matter what part of the topper you come down on. Not quite as sexy as a black metal mushroom, but I much prefer the visual color confirmation. And the installation with magnets was pretty sweet.

Maybe someday I’ll find out how well they travel and work in a gig.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Thanks for posting! Reminded me to grab some of the clear ones. I’ve been waiting for the preorder to come again but I haven’t been paying attention. Just snagged a few. Well, preordered. I’m a sucker for the clear toppers when they’re next to or directly over an LED.
 
I'm curious about the differences between the two. I think I read somewhere along the way that the Barefoot buttons also still have touch capacitance through the screws on the sides, is that correct?

The guitarist for my band has the Ceba toppers and likes them a lot, but I do like the look of the Barefoot ones better.

5sg.
 
I'm curious about the differences between the two. I think I read somewhere along the way that the Barefoot buttons also still have touch capacitance through the screws on the sides, is that correct?

The guitarist for my band has the Ceba toppers and likes them a lot, but I do like the look of the Barefoot ones better.

5sg.
Yep, I can touch the screws for the touch capacity
 
So...playing a couple live gigs with the HXFX. I have a number of different settings for specific songs. I worked pretty hard to get the tone and effect I wanted. Worked well at home and rehearsal space. But in a less than optimal venue, some were too loud, too quiet, too brittle, too boomy.

I finally got a Mission Engineering exp pedal and wow it was easy to set up.

Now each of my settings has certain critical parameters controlled by the exp pedal. Some I added just a volume pedal at the end, but others I control the blend, or gain, or eq... some setting I have programed to control multiple effect parameters with the pedal.

If you don’t have a pedal, I think you’re missing out on maximizing the HXFX potential.