The Helix Buying Guide!

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rossyamaharossyamaha Frets: 2439
edited October 2018 in FX
So as I said in another thread, I would give a relatively quick breakdown of the Helix family for anyone unsure about which one might suit them. I will say, I am only going on functionality here. You can of course take into account the price factor (new or used) if price is what will make the final decision for you. This is likely to get quite lengthy but if you're about to shell out a ton of money, it might be worth a read. 

So the Helix family includes the following
  • Helix Rack / control
  • Helix Floor
  • Helix LT
  • HX Stomp
  • HX Effects
Plenty to choose from but which should you choose? There are a million different variations/ situations where one might suit you better than another so I'll try and break them down. The only system I won't include is Helix Native. Because thats a plugin it's pretty much going to be exclusively used in the studio. Unless you are of course set up for a computer based live show which can switch your presets for you in which case, go for it. 

Scenario 1 - Direct to PA rig

Helix rack, floor, LT and stomp are identical as far as models go. They all have the same amps, cabs, effects etc. Some of the difference is form factor, some is I/O, some is processing power.

It's self explanatory that if you wanted to do as much as possible, you would go with the rack or floor. If you wanted to add multiple external fx using the loops they would be the units to go for. All the connections you would normally need. 

However, let's say you wanted all the models but didn't use external fx. LT would be the better option due to scaled down I/O. If the I/O isn't needed (although you do still get plenty to play with), all you're really missing out on is the "scribble strips" which you still get but laid out on the screen instead of above the pedals. 

If you're a pedalboard guy that simply can't get rid of boxes at your feet but want to be able to take all of that and ditch your amp, HX Stomp is the guy for you. It's about the size of a big box Strymon and still has all the same models and sound as it's bigger brothers. What you're missing out on is essentially power. It only has one processor in it (still enough to do some serious stuff) therefore only gives you access to one signal path although you still get a parallel option for the amps/ fx etc. 

Rememeber, all the units have the same models. All of them! It's really down to form factor/ I/O. You might decide that you want a rack/ control as your main rig and a HX Stomp as a backup. I know a few people who always have a Pro Junior at the gig as a backup in case their main "big" amp goes up in smoke. Why should this situation be any different? Treat yourself. 

Scenario 2 - Use Helix 4cm with your favourite amp

You have an awesome amp that you saved up all your paper round money to buy and damn it you're going to lug that big heavy unreliable never sounds the the same piece of expensive awesomeness around no matter what. BUT! You quite fancy having a ton of extra horsepower to play with as far as fx go. Or even throw some clever routing into the mix to save micing up. Or you want to do away with stomp boxes. The entire Helix family is very well equipped to do all of this with every unit. 4 or 7 cable method is available with all the units. Amp channel switching is available on all but the HX Stomp too so even less pedals to wire up.

The beauty of using Helix in this format (HX Effects excluded from this paragraph) is that you also have a backup rig in case your amp fails. With a clever routing plan that I came up with (I'm taking full credit for it at least), you don't even need to mic the amp up any more so your FOH tone is consistent every night. No getting your torch out to find what you think is the right spot on the speaker through the grill. You are also able to utilise the preamp models as Helix gives you the option of Amp + Cab, Amp or just the preamp. Using 4cm you can program it so that you can switch between using the preamp of your real amp to using a model of a preamp going into the power amp of your real amp. Does that make sense? Lets say you have a Fender based amp. You can load up a Marshall style preamp and get much more in the realm of that voicing than most MIAB pedals will get you. Really handy feature. 

HX Effects is great for this scenario if all you want to use is the FX You love the thought of Helix but you're a stuck in the mud tooob guy. Thats absolutely fine. Nothing at all wrong with it. HX Effects will simply give you access to all the FX Helix has to offer. You can also load IR's so you can still do the clever routing thing and send your signal FOH without micing your amp. 

All the units are capable of just running the FX. You really need to decide how many things you want instant access to to help decide which unit to go for. 

Scenario 3 - Into the front of your amp replacing your pedalboard

A lot of scenario 2 applies here. All units can just be FX only. Thats how I started using it. I had a massive pedalboard with all the stuff on it. It was really heavy and whenever there was a problem it took a while to troubleshoot. Helix can replace your whole board and if there are certain pedals you can't live without or that haven't been modelled yet, there are external loops on all units to let you use those as well.

The loops on Helix actually give you access to functionality some pedals don't have. For instance, you just love your old DD-2 since you saw Eric Johnson uses one. That delay doesn't have trails so when you turn it off the repeats stop dead. That annoys the hell out of me. The loops on Helix have a trails function you can turn on or off so your vintage delay now has trails. Thats cool. There is also a mix control so you can blend in the clean signal on your old Bud box Dyna Comp. Really really useful feature. 

Again, which one you want is only determined by how much switching you want access to. Remember, all the models are the same!

Scenario 4 - Some uses you may not have thought of!

Lets say you have a Kemper. Great unit. Thats your amp rig but you find the FX a little sterile/ boring/ not eclectic enough. Whatever, you want MORE! You could use Helix for the FX but also, as your main system controller. Each footswitch can be programmed to send a midi message so you could have one switch change preset on your Kemper, add a tubescreamer, harmonised delay and the ever popular growler effect all at the same time.

Not many people think of buying a Helix to use as a midi controller but when you consider the price of something like the RJM Mastermind stuff, even the baby one would cost more than a Helix Floor! AND you get all the stuff Helix does as well. 

Again on the midi side, you can become a multi instrumentalist. Lets say you're playing something on guitar or bass and want to accentuate it with a synth pad. You can program Helix to send a message to a sound module to play the notes you want. Super cool. 


I play guitar and take photos of stuff. I also like beans on toast.

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Comments

  • rossyamaharossyamaha Frets: 2439
    All this is good but I still can't decide!

    I see a lot of posts that go like this "well HX Stomp is £xxx and I could get a Helix LT used for that". Yes you could. But is the LT what you want? Do you want all those switches and expression pedal or do you just want a couple of sounds to switch between quickly within a single preset? Only you can decide that. The trick (for want of a better term) to buying a Helix is really think about the situation you're in and what you actually want/ need/ can't live without. I've wasted thousands on things I thought I needed but only realised I didn't after a few gigs. 

    Hopefully this all makes sense and as I think of better explanations I'll add to it. If you have a specific need or a scenario not listed, hit me up and I'll help figure it out for you. As I say to anyone I've done Helix training with, if the question is "can Helix do this", the answer is one of 3....

    1. Yes
    2. Yes but with a compromise
    3. Not yet

    I play guitar and take photos of stuff. I also like beans on toast.

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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    A very timely and very helpful write up.

    I've been trying to decide between the floor and the LT and this has just convinced me that the LT will more than meet my needs.

    Thanks!
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    Thanks .. very informative.

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • Cheers Ross.  Thats a really helpful breakdown of the units. 

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  • WazmeisterWazmeister Frets: 9446
    Ross, a great insight and thanks ! Really helpful.


    Any thoughts on the following ? Maybe add these to your excellent guide;

    1.) How to implement Helix into yout DAW

    2.) The options and best way to use mics with the Helix


    As Ive indicated elsewhere, I am now a digital/modeller convert (still cant believe it !) and will be buying a Helix Floor again soon :)


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  • carloscarlos Frets: 3426
    Thanks so much for this @rossyamaha ;
    The gap in my performance and recording gear is at the amp level. I gig in London and home counties and for sure am not lugging around my amp on public transport. So I end up using the amp du jour which can vary wildly in quality and suitability to my music. Also I often don't have the soundcheck time to play around with a new amp's settings. As far as pedals go there are pedals I could outsource to a helix unit and ones which I like to keep off it like my EHX Freeze or my looper both of which I need to use during the performance itself.
    So my ideal Helix would have full amp options which I can programme in advance plus a few standard fx units in it which are I can set and forget like a reverb, standard delay and perhaps a drive/fuzz depending on the gig. It would also need to be as portable as possible!
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  • VaiaiVaiai Frets: 530
    I have used my Helix direct to PA, direct to DAW and as FX Unit with the real amp and last night I went into the FX return at rehearsal using a Michael Britt profile and it was glorious! One cable into the FX return and setup is done - that's the one for me when not going direct (i.e for pub gigs). 
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  • welshboyowelshboyo Frets: 1808
    Bloody Hell, that makes me want one..

    Oh Hang on....
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  • NorthernStompsNorthernStomps Frets: 398
    tFB Trader
    Can I basically use the HX stomp as an amp with an fx loop?

    So can I plug my individual dirt pedals in the front of the amp sim, then plug my individual time-based pedals (like my DD500 and Gravits) into the HX Stomp so they come after the amp sim but before the cab sim?

    So basically use my current pedalboard with the HX Stomp replacing my amp?

    Facebook: @northernstomps // Instagram: @northernstomps // Twitter: @northernstomps

    Specialist Retailer Of Handmade British Stompboxes // https://www.northernstomps.com/

    Currently Stocking: Hudson Electronic/Raygun FX/Zander Circuitry/ThorpyFX/Rainger FX/Life is Unfair/ Magnetic Effects/Fredric Effects

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  • rossyamaharossyamaha Frets: 2439
    Can I basically use the HX stomp as an amp with an fx loop?

    So can I plug my individual dirt pedals in the front of the amp sim, then plug my individual time-based pedals (like my DD500 and Gravits) into the HX Stomp so they come after the amp sim but before the cab sim?

    So basically use my current pedalboard with the HX Stomp replacing my amp?
    Absolutely. There's a few different ways you could set this up but it's easy enough to do and would give you a ton of different options. 

    For example, you could set it up so you have the ultimate Fender clean and a Marshall drive and tell one of the footswitches to toggle between them while another footswitch turns on the loop that your post amp fx are in. You could even have your preamp pedals in another loop and tell the other footswitch to turn those on and off so you don't have to do as much tap dancing. 

    I play guitar and take photos of stuff. I also like beans on toast.

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  • timmysofttimmysoft Frets: 1962
    My version of the buying guide:

     Get the Helix rack and Helix control otherwise the people will think you're playing through a zoom4040. 

     
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  • normula1normula1 Frets: 639
    Thanks for posting this @rossyamaha now just got to decide between the Helix rack or the HX stomp and try to persuade Mrs Claus that I've been very good this year.
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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7350
    It's a shame there is no UK stock for the foreseeable - I'm swept up in the release hype and would buy one - but knowing me it'll wear off before Xmas
    Red ones are better. 
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  • NPPNPP Frets: 236
    thanks @rossyamaha , this helps me get my head round the various options. Looks like the Stomp can do what I need - basically replace my (very few) pedals when I can play through my amp, and let me use full modelling (incl. amp, cab, mic) for silent practice. But even then these electronic things aren't exactly cheap which makes me hold off until I really need it (which means until I really need a silent practice solution next year). 


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  • 1.) How to implement Helix into yout DAW




    Helix Native! Its awesome. I don't even own a helix and I bought this.,..if you've got a pedal you get it cheaper. Pisses all over bias and amplitube which are the other sims I own.
    ဈǝᴉʇsɐoʇǝsǝǝɥɔဪቌ
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  • 1.) How to implement Helix into yout DAW




    Helix Native! Its awesome. I don't even own a helix and I bought this.,..if you've got a pedal you get it cheaper. Pisses all over bias and amplitube which are the other sims I own.
    Agreed - I bought the LT because of Helix Native, and put hours into getting it working on my main Linux machine - but I don't think that's what he was asking ;)
    <space for hire>
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  • matt1973matt1973 Frets: 385
    Hey @rossyamaha know anyone integrating Helix with Apple's MainStage? If so, what details do you have of their set up and/or strategy? Thanks.
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  • matt1973 said:
    Hey @rossyamaha know anyone integrating Helix with Apple's MainStage? If so, what details do you have of their set up and/or strategy? Thanks.
    Can’t you run Native in Mainstage or am I missing something?

    I actually have a patch with my Helix floor that has a few effects before going to Mainstage which is running S-Gear and some Native Instruments (just for a laugh) and back to Helix again
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  • rossyamaharossyamaha Frets: 2439
    matt1973 said:
    Hey @rossyamaha know anyone integrating Helix with Apple's MainStage? If so, what details do you have of their set up and/or strategy? Thanks.
    Good question. I don't know anyone and it's a very long time since I've even heard Mainstage being mentioned but I'll look into it. Is there something specific you would like to do? 

    I play guitar and take photos of stuff. I also like beans on toast.

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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    All this is good but I still can't decide!

    If you have a specific need or a scenario not listed, hit me up and I'll help figure it out for you.
    Listed where ? ;)    (genuine question)
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
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