Line 6 Helix

**Aant** · 10-09-2018, 12:28 PM

Line6 recently announced their HX Stomp, a compact version of their Helix products with a bit less functionalities but same amps, cabs and effects.

Wonder if any of you have some experience with this line of products. I'm interested in the sounds, obviously, more than ergonomic factors etc. Actually I'm considering selling my pedals to buy one, seems like all the gear I'd need to record and play with my BluesBaby45.

Jazz and non-jazz experiences are equally welcome.

**blille** · 10-09-2018, 12:41 PM

Also interested.

I’ve always been a snobby tubes person. But I think they got me with this one. So small, so flexible. All the tones you need, headphones out, USB interface, affordable. Trying to figure out if I can load a Tweed Deluxe in it since it does not come standard.

**mr quick** · 10-10-2018, 05:15 AM

I've got the Headrush, and shortly before Line6 had revealed their compact unit, HR released theirs:

I'm inclined towards the Headrush Gigboard, because it's got a touch screen, and I'm already familiar with the UI as I have the full-size version.
I'd like to try the HX Stomp though, it really is ridiculously small for what I can only assume is a very strong sound engine. I'll probably try it in December, when I work at a local music retail store.

**Aant** · 10-10-2018, 09:10 AM

Hell, the headrush looks great too... As far as I can read it has better amp sounds than the helix.

**lawson-stone** · 10-10-2018, 09:49 AM

Does it have aux input for playing along with tracks?

**blille** · 10-10-2018, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Aant

Hell, the headrush looks great too... As far as I can read it has better amp sounds than the helix.

It looks like it has tweed deluxe which the hx stomp doesn’t.

**mr quick** · 10-10-2018, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Aant

Hell, the headrush looks great too... As far as I can read it has better amp sounds than the helix.

I got the Headrush because I thought it sounded better than the Helix, and thought I needed a bunch of amps for different uses - turns out like with most things, one tends to gravitate towards the familiar. The few I almost always use are the "SL-100" (Soldano) "RB-01B" (Bogner Ecstasy), "Black Duo" (Twin), "Tweed Prince" (59 princeton), and no amp simulator with just the "cabinet" or impulse response in the unit, for a neutral response.
You can hear the latter setup here:

Forgive my playing, I just wanted to show an idea to a mate. The rig I made in the headrush is input -> 1x15 cab w sm57 -> EQ -> reverb.

Headrush are releasing an update this month which includes new amp models, among which a blackface prinecton. Also 160 new impulse responses, so this will be fun

**Aant** · 10-11-2018, 08:29 AM

Sounds great thanks.
It'll be hard to choose between the two, leaves time to sell gear in the meantime...

**mr quick** · 10-11-2018, 06:30 PM

Here's another short clip I made with the same patch or "rig":

(when I practice, I record just the guitar track, not the backing track, so that I can go back and see if I'm "playing the song" in my solo, and I liked this little snippet from "all of me")

**carlescountry** · 10-14-2018, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Does it have aux input for playing along with tracks?

Yes!

**blille** · 10-14-2018, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by carlescountry

Yes!

So you can use the loop or aux in?

**Cunamara** · 10-15-2018, 12:45 AM

Yamaha had something like this years ago in the MagicStomp pedal, which they then didn't support very well and it disappeared from the market. Allan Holdsworth had of 'em in his rig. A few years back Zoom came out with the amS50 and MS100; I have the latter and quite frankly it can be one stop shopping and be a direct device into the PA, no amp needed. I did quite a few gigs running from the guitar to the Zoom to a powered speakers and a line out to the PA; worked a charm!

Now these come along are several steps along in terms of processing ability, and the Line6 and Headrush have added some really nice features. This is impressive stuff. Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, etc., often used direct boxes on gigs when traveling- imagine if they'd had something like this to sculpt their sounds!

Thanks for the demos! Hopefully we'll get to hear both of them used in a jazz context, instead of the usual YouToob vides with spikey guitars and way distorted tones.

**carlescountry** · 10-15-2018, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by blille

So you can use the loop or aux in?

Yes. From the manual of Helix HX Stomp:

18. SENDS/RETURNS L/R These 1/4” ins and outs can be used as an FX loopfor inserting external stompboxes between specific blocks in HX Stomp, or asinputs and outputs for running 4-Cable Method rigs. See "HX Stomp in 4-Cable Method". Alternatively, the L/MONO and RIGHT inputs can act as an always-on Aux In for monitoring mixers, keyboards, drum machines or MP3 players. To set the function of the Return L/R jacks, see "Global Settings > Ins/Outs"

**Aant** · 11-15-2018, 08:02 AM

Finally ordered the HX Stomp, its size and flexibility got me. In fact I sold all my pedals to finance its purchase, that little unit looks just so convenient.
Only problem is to wait until end of november when it becomes available again...

**blille** · 11-15-2018, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Aant

Finally ordered the HX Stomp, its size and flexibility got me. In fact I sold all my pedals to finance its purchase, that little unit looks just so convenient.
Only problem is to wait until end of november when it becomes available again...

That's a bold move!

I hope it does it for you. Let us know how it goes.

**davang55** · 03-27-2019, 11:25 PM

I know this is an old thread but I just found a speaker choice in the HX stomp called a "field coil" speaker and gives the guitar an even more pronounced acoustic quality. I was using my Joe Pass which is pretty dead acoustically (it has a Surf 90 pickup in the neck) and also with my Broadway (Seth Lover in the neck)
but its not the pickup it's the field coil setting.

I wonder if any one else has checked that setting out.

Jeff

**McJazzer** · 10-09-2021, 02:09 PM

A bit of a niche use for the Helix and one that I definitely don't expect to be helpful to a large number of people, but here it is for 2 years down the road when that one person searches for it. This is the jazz tone I've been using lately with my archtop. Floating pickup (Kent Armstrong 12-pole), carved solid Spruce top, Maple sides, flatwound strings, etc. The guitar is an Eastman AR810 with a violin varnish. At the time, it was a prototype from Eastman that I had purchased from Lou at Guitars N Jazz after a few had recommended his shop on this forum. That was 5 years ago now.

A few months back I put out a video just playing a solo arrangement with this preset. A few people had asked for a preset walkthrough so here it is. In this video I'll go over a few tricks I like to use on the Line 6 Helix / HX Stomp in order to get a traditional, warm jazz tone out of a floating pickup archtop guitar with flatwounds.

**Campos** · 10-09-2021, 03:00 PM

Listening into my MSP5 Yamaha monitors with Focusrite interface, don't know if this was the intention, or it's the YouTube compression, but, sounds a bit distorted to my ears ... sorry to say that ...

**McJazzer** · 10-11-2021, 06:43 PM

Why apologize? All guitar tones incorporate some degree of overdrive, otherwise we all might as well just plug into the PA system. That's assuming you're just being picky about the guitar sound and not experiencing actual distortion in which case there's probably something wrong with your playback system...

**sgosnell** · 10-12-2021, 10:48 AM

I don't hear any distortion, but the stereo delay through headphones is really distracting, especially as you play more notes. The note being played gets distorted by the delay, and the result is really not listenable. Without the delay, I think it sounds fine. I really don't know why I wandered into this thread, because I have no Helix and no plans to ever get one.

**Picker** · 02-22-2022, 03:19 AM

Originally Posted by McJazzer

A bit of a niche use for the Helix and one that I definitely don't expect to be helpful to a large number of people, but here it is for 2 years down the road when that one person searches for it. This is the jazz tone I've been using lately with my archtop. Floating pickup (Kent Armstrong 12-pole), carved solid Spruce top, Maple sides, flatwound strings, etc. The guitar is an Eastman AR810 with a violin varnish. At the time, it was a prototype from Eastman that I had purchased from Lou at Guitars N Jazz after a few had recommended his shop on this forum. That was 5 years ago now.

A few months back I put out a video just playing a solo arrangement with this preset. A few people had asked for a preset walkthrough so here it is. In this video I'll go over a few tricks I like to use on the Line 6 Helix / HX Stomp in order to get a traditional, warm jazz tone out of a floating pickup archtop guitar with flatwounds.

Thanks for that post. Question: I have a Roland JC 40....too bright for my arch tops with hum buckers (floating and set in). Could the Helix be used to send a signal into the RJC and thus use it as a speaker for the Helix and its output sounds? Thanks to any who might give guidance and suggestions.

**jim777** · 02-22-2022, 04:25 PM

I don't believe the Helix can act as a power amp, just a preamp. If the JC40 has a loop you can likely go out of the Helix into the return of the loop though.

**Picker** · 02-22-2022, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by jim777

I don't believe the Helix can act as a power amp, just a preamp. If the JC40 has a loop you can likely go out of the Helix into the return of the loop though.

Thanks!

**Herbie** · 02-27-2022, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by jim777

I don't believe the Helix can act as a power amp, just a preamp. If the JC40 has a loop you can likely go out of the Helix into the return of the loop though.

I believe that it can be used just like an effect board right to the amp. Just don’t use the cab simulator.