Line 6 Helix Announced (Multi-FX)

[aen]

Greetings!

I don't post much here but I signed up for an account because people talked about my old KWB pedal here fairly often.

Anyway, the reason I stopped making pedals is because I got hired by Line 6. Many of the models in the Helix were done by me. This product has been in serious development for years, and it's finally nice to be able to talk about it in public.

I'm not here to shill. If you like it, great. If not, that's fine too. But if anyone has any specific questions, I can try to address them.

Cheers!
Ben

Heyo!
Haven't seen you much since my brief stint at the PRF.
Well, I also think this thing looks great and it makes perfect sense to integrate all this stuff, in fact it's something I've dreamed of from time to time.

*edit* also I had been talking to people at Line6 years back about working together... so if anyone is ever like "hey we need a fellow with no digital skills at all to make our lives difficult and maybe draw pictures of us" I'M STILL HERE!

[Eivind August]

^ Digital oscillating fuzz where the oscillations actually arpeggiate and modulate, like having Rick Wakeman playing along to your jams. LineCraft Prog Destroyer. DO EET!

[Gone Fission]

Any new effects, rather than just improved old effects? Too many digital multis are kind of like whatever new hi-def audio format comes out. Do I have to re-buy the White Album on DVD-A, SACD, and now Pono, or should I perhaps be interested in new sounds instead of better renditions of old ones? (Mental note--still need to buy the new Astrobrite MP3.) The first big effects company to put granular processing capability in their new multi has my attention, for example. Or can I at least have advanced mangling of old sounds, like the stealth power of the LFO in the newer Digitech RP stuff or the deep control available in the RLD Adrenalinn? If I can only replicate old hardware conventionally connected, I don't care how slick, and maybe even how good it sounds. To infinity and beyond, motherfuckers.

[rfurtkamp]

Yea, that matters to me as well.

One of the things that got me instantly on the Roland GR-55 and the Boss GT-001/100 was the fact I could assign anything anywhere - not just buttons but LFO or envelope control *any* parameter, including several. Crazy stupid is possible in a way that is positively glorious.

And it included all their new advanced toys - Tera Echo etc in a programmable package versus 4 knobs and a prayer (and that unit NEEDED the extra control and options to be more than a novelty).

It can't just sound good or be "easy" for an idiot who loves the simplicity of a one-knob pedal who's scared of stuff - it needs DEEP editing and options to catch my interests.

[Muse FTW]

It can't just sound good or be "easy" for an idiot who loves the simplicity of a one-knob pedal who's scared of stuff - it needs DEEP editing and options to catch my interests.

Yeah I agree with this too. The more sculpting options the better, and I'd love to see them go out of their comfort zone and not only give us a lot of flexibility in the algorithms, but also give us some interesting/new sounds that aren't the standard OD/Distortion/Fuzz/Phaser/Flanger/Chorus/Delay/etc....

[Warpsmasher]

Yea, that matters to me as well.

One of the things that got me instantly on the Roland GR-55 and the Boss GT-001/100 was the fact I could assign anything anywhere - not just buttons but LFO or envelope control *any* parameter, including several. Crazy stupid is possible in a way that is positively glorious.

And it included all their new advanced toys - Tera Echo etc in a programmable package versus 4 knobs and a prayer (and that unit NEEDED the extra control and options to be more than a novelty).

It can't just sound good or be "easy" for an idiot who loves the simplicity of a one-knob pedal who's scared of stuff - it needs DEEP editing and options to catch my interests.

The GT-001 is likely the true holy grail pedalboard-friendly M9/Eventide/Strymon killer with amps and LFO right now. I think I'm going to have to get one just out of curiosity that has been kindled from the time I've spent with the Digitech RP360, and the ability to use 2 of the same effect with LFO + EXP has me gassing hard.

I also love the Zoom Multistomps for what they are, great little line of mini-multis. No expression or LFO, but they have such amazing amounts of power for their footprint size. They also have optional line level i/o, so they can hang with rack units and Eventide pedals in that way too. The MS60B is an amazing bass synth pedal, with all the extra effects you can add to your synth presets. The super cheap new pedal and amp algos for the MS100BT are also very cool, especially in a multi with presets, way better implementation than the single-effect istomp and H9.

Line 6 is still disqualified from the board-friendly multi-fx category, unless you want a pocket pod on your board. M9 is too big and has no amps, so not a true multi-fx anyway, and not really a mini either. I went through the list of effects in the Amplifi stuff, and there are some new effects that sound pretty enticing, and the software looks good too, but there's no LFO, no external expression input, still too fucking big, and ios only, which is just way too exclusive at this point, so just no. I will be looking forward to trying these cool new effects in a smaller package (or rackage) eventually though.

[rfurtkamp]

You can use 3 of some of the effects or more (since there's dedicated delay/etc blocks and you can subdelay any of the "anything goes" blocks too). Restrictions are fairly minimal to a point where when I go to the outboard rack, it's because I want a specific sound, not because I can't do something.

[Gone Fission]

You two are a really bad influence. Still, a GT-001 and RP360XP together cost an assload less than a Helix, so it could be worse. Then there's all of the rest of Rob's vintage digital tips . . .

[rfurtkamp]

Still less than a Helix!

[sunnysal]

Thanks for posting and offering to answer questions Benadrian! I have a few doubts; Line 6 states "70 effects", but no where online can I find the manual or any literature that lists the effects, models, etc. When we will be able to see a complete documentation of the effects, cabs, amps, parameters, etc.? this is important to know when trying to make a buying decision. Especially if one already has an HD500 for example and is trying to decide to upgrade to the helix. the second question is easier, does this go into my rig and replace the HD500 same wiring, etc.? or is it somewhat different in operation, or how it handles the variax and DT25 (some of my rig)? thanks agian for taking the time to answer these more detailed qestions about this exciting new gear! warm regards, T

[Muse FTW]

Some demos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdny3wskET0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OiJNBWFrWc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBVT0kDO4n4

And a "review":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAGDCCdWjoQ