Line 6 HX Effects

[mattattack187]

I'm not a huge FX user. Usually just a preamp (Sansamp or MXR m81). However I would like to have an all in one effects unit and this thing used goes for a price range I could afford if selling off some gear. How good can this thing hold up for use as a Clean preamp or for a baked in tone preamp like the BDDI? I like to play around with chorus and filter effects so I know this unit could definitely take care of that.

 

[lucas303]

I'm not a huge FX user. Usually just a preamp (Sansamp or MXR m81). However I would like to have an all in one effects unit and this thing used goes for a price range I could afford if selling off some gear. How good can this thing hold up for use as a Clean preamp or for a baked in tone preamp like the BDDI? I like to play around with chorus and filter effects so I know this unit could definitely take care of that.

Well it's got a BDDI model built in, plus a lot of other stuff, so I think it would be worth your consideration. One thing to think about, though, is that the HX Effects doesn't have amp models. For that you need the HX Stomp or the bigger Helix models. Maybe you don't need/want the amp models, but if you do the HX Effects likely isn't for you.

 

[mattattack187]

Well it's got a BDDI model built in, plus a lot of other stuff, so I think it would be worth your consideration. One thing to think about, though, is that the HX Effects doesn't have amp models. For that you need the HX Stomp or the bigger Helix models. Maybe you don't need/want the amp models, but if you do the HX Effects likely isn't for you.

Nope. Don't really need the amp models. I've always been a Preamp person. Amps just never did it for me.

 

[lucas303]

Nope. Don't really need the amp models. I've always been a Preamp person. Amps just never did it for me.

In that case the HX Effects is a good choice. It's incredible how much it can do, and how well it does most of those things.

In terms of actual bass preamps, though, I think it just has the BDDI and B7K Ultra. I could be wrong about that, though, and there are definitely several other effects that can serve a preamp function.

 

[mattattack187]

In that case the HX Effects is a good choice. It's incredible how much it can do, and how well it does most of those things.

In terms of actual bass preamps, though, I think it just has the BDDI and B7K Ultra. I could be wrong about that, though, and there are definitely several other effects that can serve a preamp function.

I could probably make either one work. I also see a some EQ's that I could probably make do with. I'm just getting tired of swapping out pedals, rewiring, etc. I'd rather spend more time playing than fiddling around, trading, buying, etc.

 

[lucas303]

I could probably make either one work. I also see a some EQ's that I could probably make do with. I'm just getting tired of swapping out pedals, rewiring, etc. I'd rather spend more time playing than fiddling around, trading, buying, etc.

Yeah there's a lot of options. I just wanted to make clear that there are few effects that are actually labeled as bass preamps.

Being able to swap stuff around with the turn of a knob and a couple button presses is so nice!

 

[C_nut]

A couple of questions about this unit:

1. Can I make a patch that has 2 signals: clean compressed low end and punchy uncompressed mids and cleans?

2. Can I drive my drive pedals hard into the unit without digital clipping? Will they drive my amp after going through unit?

3. Can use my drive pedals only on my uncompressed signal while maintaining clean lows? Like on the Tyler pedal.

4. Can I use this unit on the front of the amp without IR and DI with IR into desk?

Happy Lemmy's birthday to all!

 

[Naigewron]

A couple of questions about this unit:

1. Can I make a patch that has 2 signals: clean compressed low end and punchy uncompressed mids and cleans?

2. Can I drive my drive pedals hard into the unit without digital clipping? Will they drive my amp after going through unit?

3. Can use my drive pedals only on my uncompressed signal while maintaining clean lows? Like on the Tyler pedal.

4. Can I use this unit on the front of the amp without IR and DI with IR into desk?

Happy Lemmy's birthday to all!

1: Yes

2: Yes, but within reason

3: Yes, if you place your drive in the effects loop

4: Yes, but not in combination with 1 and 3

Edit: 3 is also possible without an effects loop if you use both inputs; one from your drive and one clean. That enables you to cover 4 by sending a non-IR signal to your amp from an FX send.

 

[C_nut]

Okay, so, many people here seem to have a seperate D.I. to go with this unit although you could just get a TRS to XLR male cable. Why do you prefer having a seperate di to just going straight to FOH?

 

[Naigewron]

Okay, so, many people here seem to have a seperate D.I. to go with this unit although you could just get a TRS to XLR male cable. Why do you prefer having a seperate di to just going straight to FOH?

Well first of all, the HXFX outputs aren't balanced, so you might get noise/interference problems by running direct from the HXFX.

Other than that, I use cab sim on my direct tone, so to avoid routing limitations I run a Darkglass pedal with a cab sim capability on its XLR output

 

[Diegombass]

Well first of all, the HXFX outputs aren't balanced, so you might get noise/interference problems by running direct from the HXFX.

Other than that, I use cab sim on my direct tone, so to avoid routing limitations I run a Darkglass pedal with a cab sim capability on its XLR output

Read and tested: the outputs are impedance balanced.

 

[Diegombass]

Okay, so, many people here seem to have a seperate D.I. to go with this unit although you could just get a TRS to XLR male cable. Why do you prefer having a seperate di to just going straight to FOH?

Few times, but I ve gone TRS to XLR male to mixer without issues. No need for lifted ground.

 

[Naigewron]

Read and tested: the outputs are impedance balanced.

Interesting. The manual says nothing about this, or that you can use TRS cables on the outputs.

I know the Stomp outputs are balanced, so it makes sense, but silly of them not to mention it then.

 

[C_nut]

So the the outputs are impedance balanced. Why are people still using Radial JDIs and B7Ks? Like my gripe is that on paper this thing could be the ultimate preamp for bassists with loadable IR's and endless EQs and compressors. Why isn't it?

 

[Pedalnetics]

So the the outputs are impedance balanced. Why are people still using Radial JDIs and B7Ks? Like my gripe is that on paper this thing could be the ultimate preamp for bassists with loadable IR's and endless EQs and compressors. Why isn't it?

It doesn't have a ground lift or phase inversion switches, which some people care about (myself included). While I hope I never need either, it's just easier to have my J48 under my board at all times feeding my DI signal.

The Line6 stuff, while supposedly "protected" from phantom power, a lot of people don't want to risk it. Yes there are phantom power blockers, but a DI box does that too (or actually uses it like my J48). Again, personal preference of risks taken.

My board is wired for both unbalanced 1/4" output and balanced XLR output. My DI box does that pass-thru for thr 1/4" out. The HX can't unless I use left for one (balanced) and right for the other (unbalanced), but then you run into weird bypass issues when it's powered off in analog bypass mode: your left input doesn't feed the right output in analog mode (or it doesn't on my Stomp). This powered-off-mode is my quick fallback should something be having issues such as a bad power grounding/isolation causing hums/cycles and we're out of time to troubleshoot.

So really, it's just a personal decision of risks and/or how you address varying needs. If you're going to carry a DI box to address some of those when you need to, why not just wire it that way all the time if you have the pedalboard room?

Of course there's the argument of do you even need a pedalboard anymore either, which my answer is yes: volume and/or expression pedal (and the POD Go doesn't allow block reordering, so that's not an equivalent answer there)

 

[lucas303]

It doesn't have a ground lift or phase inversion switches, which some people care about (myself included). While I hope I never need either, it's just easier to have my J48 under my board at all times feeding my DI signal.

When you split the signal to separate paths you can invert the phase of one or the other. Maybe that could provide a workaround if nothing else?

 

[C_nut]

Thanks already for the great help dudes! Any change I could clarify a few things before I make the purchase?

1. Okay, let's say I won't bother with using analogue drive effects in the effects loop. Can I use the hx effects in parallel (crossover, Y or A/B), sum them up and have two separate output signals a) mic-level with IR into FOH b) instrument level into amp without IR. If so, how would I create this kind of patch? I'm trying to read from the manual and read forum posts but it's getting more confusing.

2. If I split my signal at the beginning of chain, could I use my dirt pedals with the two inputs and be able to do what I described in 1. question?

 

[Naigewron]

1. Okay, let's say I won't bother with using analogue drive effects in the effects loop. Can I use the hx effects in parallel (crossover, Y or A/B), sum them up and have two separate output signals a) mic-level with IR into FOH b) instrument level into amp without IR. If so, how would I create this kind of patch? I'm trying to read from the manual and read forum posts but it's getting more confusing.

If you want different output levels, you need to send the amp signal from the FX send, but that's perfectly fine. It does eat an effects block though. Then just add the IR after the FX block and send the main output to FOH.

2. If I split my signal at the beginning of chain, could I use my dirt pedals with the two inputs and be able to do what I described in 1. question?

If you want to do what I described for 1., then you can't use pedals with two inputs in the loop. You'll need one FX send output to send to your amp, so you're left with just one FX send to use for your pedals.

 

[Diegombass]

Community

 

[Bcalhoun54]

I'm looking to replace my existing pedalboard with a Line 6 Helix LT. I play at church and I'm also in a secular band. I just upgraded our secular band to playing without amps by using a mixer going into in-ear monitor transmitters. When we go to gigs, we just have the FOH plug directly into our sound cart. Works great and with in-ear monitors, we have total control over the in-ear mix instead of using wedges or amps. In my head I can see the Helix standing in as any amp I desire from their list AND the unit also has XLR out. The added benefit of having a click track to keep time is such a benefit to us. Anyone else tried this approach??