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Line 6 HX Stomp
- Thread starter been_effected
- Start date
AFAIK the Stomp has never had any hardware upgrades, unless you are talking about the Stomp XL? And of course all firmware updates are free
Don’t know if its only the Helix, maybe it doesn’t cover the Stomp, I saw it here, starts about 3:10 min in.
He isn’t really clarifying it very well, but everything they are talking about is changes in software vs changes in hardware. The actual physical pedals haven’t changed at all, but the operating system has evolved dramatically alongside all the new models and effects added. The beauty of the Helix stuff is that they have continually improved it and honed it in using free software updates- all the newest sounds and features are available for everyone regardless of how old your unit is unlike the “planned obsolescence” model of most of these types of products. That’s why he says it was built “future-proof” to begin with and describes updating the “engine”, which in this case is the operating system
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They make it seem pretty relevant in today’s market. He is most likely paid by Line 6 as well.
They are still very relevant! There has been a lot of talk about when there will be a hardware update to Helix products for years, but I think they have proven that it just isn’t that necessary for a large chunk of players. The newer processors in products like the Quad Cortex certainly allow more processor-hungry algorithms and potentially better sound quality/fidelity overall, but plenty of pros and hobbyists alike are still happily rocking their Helix products using 10 year old hardware tech as Line 6 has managed to keep improving them for free with software updates at a faster pace than the competition (by contrast, the Quad Cortex still lacks some of the basic functions promised upon release 5 years ago)
I think he is talking about the firmware updates… which implies that the hardware has not changed.
I think in an interview with the creator of the Helix, that they say that at some point they changed some little things in production, but what really matters is the software upgrade.
If I had to buy a multi today, I'd still go to Helix.
Tones are great in that price range for all devices. I don't care that about future-proof that much, although the "oh a new update dropped, let's see what Santa brought" is a nice touch. But sound-wise I think Helix, Headrush, QuadCortex, AxFx are all good on a level that the average guest at a venue cannot complain, especially sitting in a full mix.
But.
As a fan of mindlessly connecting MIDI and computer-y things and such I wonder why the other manufacturers do not include button-mapping/MIDI-stuff/keyboard-shortcuts/etc in the same capacity as the Helix Floor/Rack/LT. The others can do some of these features. But the Helix is the most "brain of the setup" device among the large modelers, I guess. Although the menu structure is not optimal sometimes.
I'd still get the Helix for tinkering reasons.
But otherwise I think that this "which device is still relevant, gnar, gnar, which one is better, gnar gnar" is not done optimally on the web. The sound is darn good on all of them.
But for individual use-cases (like mine) the requirements to the top-tier-modelers are much more important. (Headrush = Touchscreen, QC=capturing, Kemper=large library+power amp, Helix=interconnection, etc.)
Taking a SVT and slapping some compression and EQ in front of it will sound roughly the same, I guess, over all the devices with some tweaking. But taking another instrument to the same patch and it will also sound completely different. So why doing A/B comparisons between the devices at all?
Don't get me wrong. I think these devices are all fundamentally different machines. But my experience diving into the algorithmic bubble of music hardware videos is that there are so many nit-picky videos talking about tone of modelers with hours and hours of content dedicated to comparing the sound of devices. (Something that sounded good 3 years ago is still superb today, I'd say). But what the individual user needs from a device is pretty... individual and unique. So sometimes I think that these "review videos" of all those (probably paid) guitar/bass youtubers are not the nicest things for future buyers.
(Old man yells at clouds, lol)
All I want to say: They are all good. Don't trust YouTuibe. Go to a local shop and check how that thing behaves. Maybe the device from this year has a key functionality that might be a selling point. Maybe the one from 2020. If they were good enough for pros to go on tour with them 10 years ago, they are still great. Is the capture feature from the (new-ish) QC the deal-maker for you? Get that. It has to be small? HX Stomp it might be. You want to mindlessly connect MIDI devices to the modeler? Maybe the LT/Rack/Floor. Better price and touch? Headrush it is.
Man, I wanted to talk about the still relevant and kinda-unique MIDI stuff on the Helix. Now I ended up on a "go to your local store you kids" rant lol
But.
As a fan of mindlessly connecting MIDI and computer-y things and such I wonder why the other manufacturers do not include button-mapping/MIDI-stuff/keyboard-shortcuts/etc in the same capacity as the Helix Floor/Rack/LT. The others can do some of these features. But the Helix is the most "brain of the setup" device among the large modelers, I guess. Although the menu structure is not optimal sometimes.
I'd still get the Helix for tinkering reasons.
But otherwise I think that this "which device is still relevant, gnar, gnar, which one is better, gnar gnar" is not done optimally on the web. The sound is darn good on all of them.
But for individual use-cases (like mine) the requirements to the top-tier-modelers are much more important. (Headrush = Touchscreen, QC=capturing, Kemper=large library+power amp, Helix=interconnection, etc.)
Taking a SVT and slapping some compression and EQ in front of it will sound roughly the same, I guess, over all the devices with some tweaking. But taking another instrument to the same patch and it will also sound completely different. So why doing A/B comparisons between the devices at all?
Don't get me wrong. I think these devices are all fundamentally different machines. But my experience diving into the algorithmic bubble of music hardware videos is that there are so many nit-picky videos talking about tone of modelers with hours and hours of content dedicated to comparing the sound of devices. (Something that sounded good 3 years ago is still superb today, I'd say). But what the individual user needs from a device is pretty... individual and unique. So sometimes I think that these "review videos" of all those (probably paid) guitar/bass youtubers are not the nicest things for future buyers.
(Old man yells at clouds, lol)
All I want to say: They are all good. Don't trust YouTuibe. Go to a local shop and check how that thing behaves. Maybe the device from this year has a key functionality that might be a selling point. Maybe the one from 2020. If they were good enough for pros to go on tour with them 10 years ago, they are still great. Is the capture feature from the (new-ish) QC the deal-maker for you? Get that. It has to be small? HX Stomp it might be. You want to mindlessly connect MIDI devices to the modeler? Maybe the LT/Rack/Floor. Better price and touch? Headrush it is.
Man, I wanted to talk about the still relevant and kinda-unique MIDI stuff on the Helix. Now I ended up on a "go to your local store you kids" rant lol
I think the “future proof” idea is important in this day and age in the sense that Line 6 can still continue to pop out updates for all the Helix devices- not that it is in any way necessary given they’ve actually managed to make a really great product with few remaining objective flaws (though feature-wise, being able to respond to new developments from competitors is a meaningful thing- like the relatively recent inclusion of polyphonic pitch-shifters which all the newer competing modelers had or had coming). In a world where computers have a planned obsolescence (no longer capable of updates and changes in architecture that make them incompatible with newer software) that is almost entirely done to force people to buy a newer computer, when other consumer devices follow that same trend it becomes a major turn-off. For music production purposes most of us would probably be more than happy with what a computer from a dozen years ago was capable of, only connecting it to the internet forces us to need to upgrade to something newer.
Companies like Boss/Roland would sooner just release a new hardware product than continue to improve an existing one beyond a few years of minor updates, even when software updates are probably capable of making most of the relevant improvements in many cases- they infamously leave many products with annoying issues and then release some new product that fixes that issue. I would argue that Line 6 helped set a precedent with Helix and the constant free updates that has pressured most newer competitors into that market to follow suite.
That’s funny, but I’m glad you found your sound! Would you mind sharing your settings?
I don't know how you can say there hasn't been hardware updates- what about all the different colors? 
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...-effects-floor-processor-sweetwater-exclusive
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...-effects-floor-processor-sweetwater-exclusive
I still want a purple XLI don't know how you can say there hasn't been hardware updates- what about all the different colors?
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...-effects-floor-processor-sweetwater-exclusive
A few random questions concerning the HX Stomp
For context, I play Spector Euro 4's that have really hot outputs. My signal chain was as follows:
Spector Euro > Shure GLXD16+ > OE Bass Cali '76 v2 > Greer Amps Lightspeed > Darkglass B3K > OE Halcyon Green > Walrus Audio Julia > Mesa Subway TT800 > Mesa Subway 212. Running the Post DI to my IEM rig (Soundcraft) then to FOH.
I have made a few runs at using the HX Stomp to replace everything after the Compressor So the new signal chain is:
Spector Euro > Shure GLXD16+ > OE Bass Cali '76 v2 > HX Stomp > Mesa Subway TT800 > Mesa Subway 212. Running the Post DI to my IEM rig (Soundcraft) then to FOH.
1. For those using the HX Stomp, what are you generally setting your Master Volume to?
2. What are you generally setting the input block to for impedance?
I set up some signal chains in the HX which basically look like this:
Parallel Paths
--------------------------Chorus ------Regal DI---->
|-----OD ----DIST---|
First gig using this setup with my IEM's I was getting some Clipping in my ears regardless of which blocks were active. Mainly occurred when hitting my strings relatively heavy handed. I never had that issue before with my old effects board which leads me to believe that the issue is a global parameter issue with HX Stomp. My input block is currently set to 1M and 0db. My combiner block Path A is set to +2db and Path B (OD/Distort) is set to -2db and the overall volume is set to +3db. Master Volume on the HX is set to about 3 O clock.
For context, I play Spector Euro 4's that have really hot outputs. My signal chain was as follows:
Spector Euro > Shure GLXD16+ > OE Bass Cali '76 v2 > Greer Amps Lightspeed > Darkglass B3K > OE Halcyon Green > Walrus Audio Julia > Mesa Subway TT800 > Mesa Subway 212. Running the Post DI to my IEM rig (Soundcraft) then to FOH.
I have made a few runs at using the HX Stomp to replace everything after the Compressor So the new signal chain is:
Spector Euro > Shure GLXD16+ > OE Bass Cali '76 v2 > HX Stomp > Mesa Subway TT800 > Mesa Subway 212. Running the Post DI to my IEM rig (Soundcraft) then to FOH.
1. For those using the HX Stomp, what are you generally setting your Master Volume to?
2. What are you generally setting the input block to for impedance?
I set up some signal chains in the HX which basically look like this:
Parallel Paths
--------------------------Chorus ------Regal DI---->
|-----OD ----DIST---|
First gig using this setup with my IEM's I was getting some Clipping in my ears regardless of which blocks were active. Mainly occurred when hitting my strings relatively heavy handed. I never had that issue before with my old effects board which leads me to believe that the issue is a global parameter issue with HX Stomp. My input block is currently set to 1M and 0db. My combiner block Path A is set to +2db and Path B (OD/Distort) is set to -2db and the overall volume is set to +3db. Master Volume on the HX is set to about 3 O clock.
You’ll probably want to set your Input to Line Level in the Global menu with a very hot bass. I do this with my Stomp even with passive instruments as my outboard pedals that I run into the Stomp (particularly synth/filter and drive pedals) can clip it. This clipping seems independent of Output Volume or Input Impedance settings on the Stomp. Even with the input set to Line Level I’ve still been able to clip the Stomp with super hot signals put either into the input or FX Loops (so watch out for pushing it too hard with an external drive for example).
If your bass has a hot output, why not use the dB +/- setting in the GLXD16+ to adjust it to an appropriate level? I ended up checking all my basses against each other volume wise and came up with level settings for all of them so it didn't matter which bass I used, all my effects in the HXS (filters,ODs, compressors etc) reacted the same without have to have gain adjustments or different patches for different basses.
I forgot to mention that I DO run the GLXD16+ at -3db for each bass. (They all have the same electronics and pickups). This worked great with my "analog" effects but as soon as I swapped to the HX Stomp it's problematic.
No because it has only been an issue since the Helix was introduced. In my old signal chain there was no issue. I'm down -3db on the GLXD16+ then hitting an OE Compressor which also has reduced input gain. In my old chain the next pedals were Darkglass and OE pedals with 500K impedance inputs which had no issue. The Helix shouldn't have an issue handling the input signal. I suppose I could try that at the next gig.
