NEW Line 6 Helix v2 for 10th anniversary

[jimfist]

Agree, there were some weird gimmicky features shown. I wondered who the user group was that suggested those… then a decision that they were good features to build/showcase.

Real-time morphing of parameters is cool, but not my style for creating amp tones, as was presented. Didn't Boss do something similar with ther GT series multifx pedals years ago?

 

[BrianVengeance]

Kids' school tuition bills squeezing the wallet, but I'll keep you in mind.

Oof… thoughts and prayers for your bank account!

 

[HelpImaRock]

Wait for the Stadium Stomp, or SS for short…. Oh no!

Helix Dive Bar that used to be a Pizza Hut

 

[OldManNewBass]

Awesome. I'm looking forward to Helix Stomp 2: Electric Boogaloo, whenever it's released.

LOL, where I work we get two breaks and a lunch; whenever I go to give one of my guys their second break I tell them it's time for Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo...!

It's probably just me, but I haven't found the video very attractive. The direction they are taking is just not for me. They add tons of cool improvements, but it looks "already old fashioned" and even more complex. I prefer the general direction and vision of the Anagram, for my personal taste.

I would love to see a HX Bass, something to compete with the Anagram; I would also love to see an Anagram v2, with larger touchscreen to show main & parallel signal paths, more foot switches (so no need to add a MIDI footswitch pedal), an integrated expression pedal, and an integrated power supply with a 9V DC out for powering a wireless receiver...

 

[Texan]

I'll stick with Fractal for the same money.

 

[FretRiff]

 

[FretRiff]

 

[FretRiff]

Best thing is... lower prices on current-gen hardware (which hasn't been discontinued).

 

[kyral210]

Cool announcement today



View attachment 7249231

I want a Helix Stadium, but can't afford one… I'll have to wait for Stadium XS

 

[FretRiff]

I want a Helix Stadium, but can't afford one… I'll have to wait for Stadium XS

Typical profit maximization through 'price skimming': launching premium models first, building brand cachet and perceived value (and selling to people willing to spend the most money, first) while selling items with higher profit margins, then later releasing more affordable versions to reach broader markets.

 

[iTzPrime]

LOL, where I work we get two breaks and a lunch; whenever I go to give one of my guys their second break I tell them it's time for Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo...!



I would love to see a HX Bass, something to compete with the Anagram; I would also love to see an Anagram v2, with larger touchscreen to show main & parallel signal paths, more foot switches (so no need to add a MIDI footswitch pedal), an integrated expression pedal, and an integrated power supply with a 9V DC out for powering a wireless receiver...

How does the HX Stomp not compete with the Anagram? Except for touchpad, you can get the HX Stomp, buy an expression pedal, a midi footswitch pedal (but it has as many footswitches as the Anagram) and get get a powersupply with a 9v DC out for the same price. The stomp has more included effects, amps and cabs.

 

[OldManNewBass]

I would love to see a HX Bass, something to compete with the Anagram; I would also love to see an Anagram v2, with larger touchscreen to show main & parallel signal paths, more foot switches (so no need to add a MIDI footswitch pedal), an integrated expression pedal, and an integrated power supply with a 9V DC out for powering a wireless receiver...

How does the HX Stomp not compete with the Anagram? Except for touchpad, you can get the HX Stomp, buy an expression pedal, a midi footswitch pedal (but it has as many footswitches as the Anagram) and get get a powersupply with a 9v DC out.

I am wishing for a bass-specific HX variant, and as to the rest, I was talking about a Version 2 of the Anagram, one with a more complete feature set...

 

[iTzPrime]

I am wishing for a bass-specific HX variant, and as to the rest, I was talking about a Version 2 of the Anagram, one with a more complete feature set...

Fair, but what features are you missing for the HX variant? i find the ability to use it for guitar actually a big plus. Played a gig as guitar player and it worked well. I also once used the stomp as backup for the pianist who uses it for effects and forgot his at home.

 

[jimfist]

I'll stick with Fractal for the same money.

Yes. Short of bass amp & pedal models lacking variety, my FM9 Turbo does everything I could ever ask for WRT core tone, effects, and sophisticated programming of switches and control modifiers. Otherwise, the things on my personal wish list are a bit esoteric, functionally. It would be nice if Fractal indulged NAM capabilities and backing track/sample playback, but I'm not holding my breath for that. They seem far more interested in being the industry benchmark of core component modeling, and they're great at it. It's just...you know....the bass amp thing they neglect.

Happy to wait and see where Fractal takes things. Good times for us modeling & effects geeks.

 

[GotGroove]

I watched a few recaps of the original presentation this morning, and these are my first impressions:

- Size/ weight decrease and more blocks. Nobody will complain about that.
- Adding a mic input to your board is a good thing, even though it's not new. Headrush has been doing it for a while now.
- NAM support only when we nag enough about it? Those weren't his precise words, but that it what it feels like to me. 'We can if we want to, but we won't, unless you don't like/use our capturing technology enough': I think it's a wasted opportunity. Just add the NAM already and make whatever your own system can do compatible. If you can do more with it within the Helix2 environment fine, but don't dismiss the NAM technology.
- Cloud capture training? Makes sense.
- Backwards compatibility. I don't think they have a choice. If they didn't they'd lose so many users.
- Visual interface/explanations: Ok, this is the firs thing I could get excited about for new users. No need for a manual on every effect, everything is explained on your screen. Cool. I hope they do the same with mics/distances as I'm sure many people still struggle with it or just leave it at default.
- Hype dial /focus: nice way of editing/creating tones. Find a rough start and tweak from there. I'm sure that'll be used.
- Preset Sharing: Adding a notepad for information and the option to let people hear what it should sound like can be very useful.
- Massive mixer for all outputs: Of course. With so many output you kinda have to.
- Showcase/stem splitting and muting: great learning tool and useful if you're creating tones for a song. But do I want it in a pedalboard? Sure, you remove the need for a DAW, but I'm not sure a pedalboard is a better place to do it on
- Automation/Nexus integration: Sounds great on paper. But it has a few potential issues. For one, everybody in the band needs a Helix V2. That's easily over 10k worth of pedals. And everyone has to have in-ears as well. You don't want that click heard by your audience, and at the same time you depend on it.
Second, as far as I can tell from the information provided, you're forced to play with a click. No speeding up a song by an enthusiastic drummer/guitar player anymore. While that can be a good thing at times, it also take out the live dynamic and feel of a performance. If you're not duplicating the original, song as intended, your effects are wrong.
Lastly, do I really want video/light control from my pedalboard? Control freaks and large ensembles might, but an average band? I think they'd rather leave that to the local engineers. And even if you want to do it yourself, there's much cheaper ways of doing it that don't require 10k+ worth of pedals.

TL;DR: I see some nice features and I really like the interface. At the same time I question the live usage of some features and I kinda feel they thought that if they put as much stuff as they can into it, it'll justify the high price. While probably true for some, what I'm mostly interested in are only 2 things: How does it sound and how easily can I adjust things.
The latter seems to be rather easy, so that's a definite plus. I'm less happy with the way they choose to immediately abandon an industry standard from the start and may add it later on if people want it enough.
Do I want to play with one when it comes out? Sure. Do I personally see a reason to buy one based on the above new features or upgrade from an 'older' Helix? Not yet. I'll need some more sound examples first. And unless they do something radical better with the tones/effects than say an Anagram or even the older Helix series, I don't see how I can justify an upgrade at such costs. Yet.

No doubt I missed some things and feel free to correct me if I went wrong somewhere.

 

[iTzPrime]

I watched a few recaps of the original presentation this morning, and these are my first impressions:

- Size/ weight decrease and more blocks. Nobody will complain about that.
- Adding a mic input to your board is a good thing, even though it's not new. Headrush has been doing it for a while now.
- NAM support only when we nag enough about it? Those weren't his precise words, but that it what it feels like to me. 'We can if we want to, but we won't, unless you don't like/use our capturing technology enough': I think it's a wasted opportunity. Just add the NAM already and make whatever your own system can do compatible. If you can do more with it within the Helix2 environment fine, but don't dismiss the NAM technology.
- Cloud capture training? Makes sense.
- Backwards compatibility. I don't think they have a choice. If they didn't they'd lose so many users.
- Visual interface/explanations: Ok, this is the firs thing I could get excited about for new users. No need for a manual on every effect, everything is explained on your screen. Cool. I hope they do the same with mics/distances as I'm sure many people still struggle with it or just leave it at default.
- Hype dial /focus: nice way of editing/creating tones. Find a rough start and tweak from there. I'm sure that'll be used.
- Preset Sharing: Adding a notepad for information and the option to let people hear what it should sound like can be very useful.
- Massive mixer for all outputs: Of course. With so many output you kinda have to.
- Showcase/stem splitting and muting: great learning tool and useful if you're creating tones for a song. But do I want it in a pedalboard? Sure, you remove the need for a DAW, but I'm not sure a pedalboard is a better place to do it on
- Automation/Nexus integration: Sounds great on paper. But it has a few potential issues. For one, everybody in the band needs a Helix V2. That's easily over 10k worth of pedals. And everyone has to have in-ears as well. You don't want that click heard by your audience, and at the same time you depend on it.
Second, as far as I can tell from the information provided, you're forced to play with a click. No speeding up a song by an enthusiastic drummer/guitar player anymore. While that can be a good thing at times, it also take out the live dynamic and feel of a performance. If you're not duplicating the original, song as intended, your effects are wrong.
Lastly, do I really want video/light control from my pedalboard? Control freaks and large ensembles might, but an average band? I think they'd rather leave that to the local engineers. And even if you want to do it yourself, there's much cheaper ways of doing it that don't require 10k+ worth of pedals.

TL;DR: I see some nice features and I really like the interface. At the same time I question the live usage of some features and I kinda feel they thought that if they put as much stuff as they can into it, it'll justify the high price. While probably true for some, what I'm mostly interested in are only 2 things: How does it sound and how easily can I adjust things.
The latter seems to be rather easy, so that's a definite plus. I'm less happy with the way they choose to immediately abandon an industry standard from the start and may add it later on if people want it enough.
Do I want to play with one when it comes out? Sure. Do I personally see a reason to buy one based on the above new features or upgrade from an 'older' Helix? Not yet. I'll need some more sound examples first. And unless they do something radical better with the tones/effects than say an Anagram or even the older Helix series, I don't see how I can justify an upgrade at such costs. Yet.

No doubt I missed some things and feel free to correct me if I went wrong somewhere.

I get the NAM part. The things is that depending on the engineers, it could be that their capture technology is actually better than NAM. If they would implement NAM directly nobody would use it.

 

[Texan]

Yes. Short of bass amp & pedal models lacking variety, my FM9 Turbo does everything I could ever ask for WRT core tone, effects, and sophisticated programming of switches and control modifiers. Otherwise, the things on my personal wish list are a bit esoteric, functionally. It would be nice if Fractal indulged NAM capabilities and backing track/sample playback, but I'm not holding my breath for that. They seem far more interested in being the industry benchmark of core component modeling, and they're great at it. It's just...you know....the bass amp thing they neglect.

Happy to wait and see where Fractal takes things. Good times for us modeling & effects geeks.

If you haven't tried it, the Austin Buddy Bass pack is fantastic. I use some as is and some as a start point for my own patches.

My son has a POD go and it's great for bass, as is the Helix, but I after the learning curve, I'll stick with Fractal at the same money.

Fractal will never be a playback or sampler device. Not their goal or demographic.

 

[logdrum]

It matters to me as a HX Stomp owner, and I think it shows the direction of the new Helix platform. I admit there are a lot of nice cool features, but it's not appealing to *me*. To each his own, I perfectly understand that a lot of people may think differently, that's perfectly cool. I'm not trying to convince anyone either, just sharing my personal opinion. Isn't it what forums are for?

Where is the NAM thread you started again? Agree,

 

[logdrum]

I am so behind the times - I just realized that.
Back to work and a gig tonight

 

[GotGroove]

I get the NAM part. The things is that depending on the engineers, it could be that their capture technology is actually better than NAM. If they would implement NAM directly nobody would use it.

Isn't that a perfect reason to at least support it even if the Helix captures themselves are not (always) compatible? So people can hear the difference between a Helix capture and a NAM capture? I mean, they don't have to be the same thing. You can add support for NAM imports and still offer your own version which may or may not be compatible with NAM and may or may not be better.
And yes, at first people might use their NAM profiles because they already have it. But if the Helix capture is really so much better, people will find out soon enough and use it, even if you can't share it with non-helix users.

They allowed IR imports while offering similar amps/cabs themselves. They didn't force us to only use their amps/cabs. Why not do the same here? I don't see it. If your capture is better than a NAM capture and/or can offer more features/knobs/whatever, prove it and allow people to make up their own minds. Don't block the standard beforehand just because you think you'll do a better job.
Perhaps it's just me, but I think it's at the very least a silly thing to do.