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Who's running an HX Stomp...what else are you using (if anything)?

kln_bc

kln_bc

Aug 24, 2011
207
493
Canada
#1
I'm looking into grabbing an HX Stomp. In theory this should provide everything I need pedal wise. I'm very familiar with the Helix ecosystem and what it has to offer. I'm a bit torn though on a few things.

1...regular or XL? XL seems far more usable...but then is it even necessary?

2...for those of you using one, what do you feel are it's shortcomings and what else do you use?

I really hate the Helix tuner...so that's an added pedal there. I was considering an external compressor...the ones in the HX are good and I'm familiar with them, but I really like to see my levels which you can only monitor in the software on a pc. Maybe that's enough....I dunno. Anything else?

In the end is it worth it? Or would you rather get a few seperate pedals? I don't use a ton of effects. So there's that. I could probably get by with a tuner, a comp, and maybe a drive 99% of the time (though octavers are also cool). I don't love the menu diving and programming aspect...but I can do it.
 
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#2
I used an Hx Stomp for a few years before getting a Helix floor. I wish the XL would have been available when I bought mine. The extra foot switches would have been nice. I used an outboard tuner, compressor and swapped in and out a few overdrives. Not because the Stomp was lacking, but because of the limited DSP. Some of the synth sounds I was using would take up all blocks and many of the guitar overdrives sound great if you split the signal path so some clean low end can be blended in. This eats up blocks. Also, at first I didn’t want to rely on a single digital pedal at a gig. I thought it would break. It never did. Now I just use the Floor by itself. I still bring my old board with the Stomp and my other pedals as a backup. I’ve not needed it so far.
 
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#3
pedalboard.jpg


I'm using it for effects on live music gigs. I still have ABY with mute, tuner, then the HX, then into the H9, then compressor, then QStrip out..

I've removed the H9 and put other effects there for specific gigs (also a C4), but mainly I have suboctave, delays, chorus, flanger, envelope filter, OD, etc all on presets. I like the XL because I can access 6 on/off "pedals" in one preset.

I have used this setup mainly with a Mesa or GK head, and sometimes direct output from the QStrip.

I've done two years of gigs like this and it's been working very well. I program any presets I need before the show via PC, and I never use the knobs on the HX. Effects are occasional use in a rock bands, not heavy constant "always on", and same reasons I'd want a dedicated compressor I can tweak. I also prefer the dedicated tuner and mute.
 
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#4
RyanOh said:
View attachment 5347057

I'm using it for effects on live music gigs. I still have ABY with mute, tuner, then the HX, then into the H9, then compressor, then QStrip out..

I've removed the H9 and put other effects there for specific gigs (also a C4), but mainly I have suboctave, delays, chorus, flanger, envelope filter, OD, etc all on presets. I like the XL because I can access 6 on/off "pedals" in one preset.

I have used this setup mainly with a Mesa or GK head, and sometimes direct output from the QStrip.

I've done two years of gigs like this and it's been working very well. I program any presets I need before the show via PC, and I never use the knobs on the HX. Effects are occasional use in a rock bands, not heavy constant "always on", and same reasons I'd want a dedicated compressor I can tweak. I also prefer the dedicated tuner and mute.
Click to expand...

I think this is what I'm ultimately going to do. That's the PT Jr board right? Was looking at grabbing the same one, external tuner and comp, a fuzz I really like, and a couple others, with the stomp XL. The stomp just has so much...even if I only use like 5 or 6 of the effects in it sparingly it's cheaper and smaller than those things would be separately. Line 6 has great modulation, reverb, and delay. Plus the octaver, and I could use the DI, or maybe some preamps. Just gives options if I ever need it.

With guitar I actually always preferred using an overdriven preamp model as opposed to the overdrive/distortion models that are in it.
 
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#8
I use and gig with the Helix XL. On my board I also have a tuner, compressor, and a drive pedal. None of the pedals are really necessary because to my ear, the Helix equivalents are just as good (except maybe the tuner). They do free up DSP though by allowing me to leave out drive and compression from my Helix preset.

I rarely use many effects for bass. I do find that it does pitch shifting really well so I do use it to go into Eb and D standard tunings on gigs. I used to have the DigiTech Drop but sold it because I didn't think it worked as well.

So I don't really need all the extra foot-switches that the XL gives me. But I still like having them. I use them more for guitar which I only play at home. If I were just using it for bass I'd probably want the regular stomp so I could have a smaller board.

I do use the amp modeling when I plug into the PA for gigs, but I find it makes more of a difference when recording. The models sound fantastic recorded. I don't use the models when I'm just practicing at home because I much prefer the sound of my bass amp to the amp models going into my QSC K12.2.
 
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