Helix HX Effects Should I take the plunge ?

sweepy · March 2019

OK, convince me why its worth getting a Helix HX FX, pondering an Eventide H9 or Mod Duo or the Helix, anyone out there got any thoughts ? . I have had two Helix units and the effects weren't exactly fantastic tbh, have they improved yet ?

Teetonetal · March 2019

If you didn’t like them before, you still won’t like them now.

paulphoenix · March 2019

just like ex girlfriends.....never go back - there was a reason you dumped them in the first place. (twice in your case with the Helix! )

rossyamaha · March 2019

Everything has been improved. Just depends on when you had it. We’ve had a couple of updates since launch so difficult to tell.

Ultimately, depends what you want out of it.

sweepy · March 2019

The last Helix I had was 2 years ago, moved it on for my Axe Fx2 then Fx3 and now Kemper. As with the Helix, I loved the intuitive controls but only some of the effects floated my boat so I’m in a bit of a quandary tbh

Sassafras · March 2019

Sometimes we never learn.

rossyamaha · March 2019

sweepy said:

The last Helix I had was 2 years ago, moved it on for my Axe Fx2 then Fx3 and now Kemper. As with the Helix, I loved the intuitive controls but only some of the effects floated my boat so I’m in a bit of a quandary tbh

It's come along in the last 2 years. Now, does that mean the FX will have been improved to your ears? Only you could decide that. As much as I hate to suggest something like this, why not buy one online, give it a few days try and if you don't like it send it back?

theflyisback · March 2019

I've just got a Helix HX Effects from @rossyamaha (what a gent by the way)

Haven't delved thoroughly into it but my initial thoughts:

I plugged it in independently from my other effects and my pedal board so guitar > hx > amp.

Immediately i thought there was a muffly, tone suck, dull sound coming from it so think i need to tinker with it to see what the buffer/bypass options are. That said, i generally have a clean boost of some sort after my dirt and before mod effects (delays/reverbs) so I expected to do the same with this.

Had a scroll through the factory preset blocks and had a go at most of the effects set up. I think a factory preset will be leaned towards the extreme generally so they did sound a bit 'to the extreme'. I.e. compressors were very compressed, dirts were very dirty, reverbs were very reverby etc. Some sounded fine though.

After an hour of playing around i was thinking, meh, perhaps not a long term thing this.

But then i started from a blank preset and starting adding my own effect set ups to the blocks one by one. Adding them individually and adjusting to suit was VERY EASY and i soon got a great sound to work with. The whole thing is very easy to use without needing the manual (i never read them to be honest and think if i need to its a worry).

My first bank preset that i created was a Kinky Comp (Xotic Sp comp), Kinky Boost (Xotic EP boost), Minotaur (Klon) and Simple Spring Reverb. Very simple. It sounds amazing! really amazing. It brought the best out of my amp and guitar, really defined. Like playing a tele through a high end Fender twin. All tone.

So I've learned that, like most things in life, to get what i want out of it i need to put it in and I will find it. Spend some time adjusting it (there will be every parameter needed to shape what you need). And generally go subtle on the effects or it will sound synthetic.

If youre the type of person who just wants to plug in and get something instant it won't be that gratifying. (I am generally that person usually)!

I am not overly fussed with the drives and distortions on it (as I was with my M5) so I always intended to keep them independent and just use the Helix for reverbs, delays and some modulation. I expect though that there is plenty of sound sculpting scope in this and my next job is to add some external pedals into the fx loops and see how they interact. Also, I want to see how this works adjusting the chain to see what works in front of amp and in the amps fx loop.

sweepy · March 2019

I can increasingly see myself going the comp overdrive and H9’s route after trawling the line 6 Forums again, well it’s been awhile

Pablocrackers · March 2019

I thought there was some tone suck as well tbh dark & muffly from the originaly tone but maybe this can be sorted with the impedance options? Same thing with my hx stomp when using it 4cm definately darkens the tone with no fx engaged just fx loop block ymmv!

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Helix HX Effects Should I take the plunge ?

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