Helix Stomp XL leaked?

Jetfire

https://i.imgur.com/2Bgtv1C.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/G110eBJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pYWpXNn.jpg

Not sure if this is genuine but this is kinda cool! 

digitalscream

Yeah...leaked from Zzounds. I would definitely have bought one of these if it came out a couple of months ago (no need, now that I have the MP-2 rack). Something half way between the Stomp and the LT is exactly the right form factor for me, without the expression pedal.

The only thing they screwed up, in my opinion, is the arrangement of the buttons. For optimal ergonomics, I'm pretty sure the bottom row should've been A, B, C, D, TAP and the top row should be UP, DOWN, MODE - on the simple principle that the buttons used most often should be easiest to get to.

HoraceB

Ooh! I hope it’s genuine. @digitalscream I’m with you on the button arrangement. 

bencowling81

Hmm, if it is genuine I reckon they’ve messed up. Volume on the back a bad idea. Looks a bit off to me.

Jetfire

If they did an LT with no expression pedal, that would have been ideal for me but the stomps dsp potentially too small for me. Still, I like the look of this! 

chrisj1602

It’s not the best looking design but it appears to solve the issues I had with the Stomp. I switched to a Pod Go for the extra footswitch options but never use the expression pedal and would gain the 3.0 update so this XL could be of interest.

bencowling81

Bigger chassis could mean bigger dsp. Not that I think this is genuine 

Jetfire

It's official apparently

HX Stomp XL FAQ

So it’s just… HX Stomp, but with more touch footswitches and all the jacks on the back? For $150 more?

Yes.

…Why?

Because customers asked for more switches. Or kept finding clever—but way less elegant or integrated—ways to add more switches. And it was relatively easy. We’re not going to pretend it’s the most innovative product we’ve ever designed but for some customers, it’s the goldilocks form factor.

Thanks, but my personal needs require a Variax input, twice the DSP, and six switches, not eight. Why didn’t you give me exactly what I want?

<exasperated sigh>

So it’s like the size of two HX Stomps?

If you omit the space required for jacks on the side (even pancake jacks), more like 1-2/3 Stomps. It’s 12.5” wide (vs. HX Stomp’s 7” width). Depth and height are virtually identical.

Does it add anything else?

Hands-free Pedal Edit mode (tweak presets with your feet), 128 presets vs.126, four snapshots per preset vs. three, and you can access the 6 Switch Looper without needing a MIDI controller. Other than that, it is HX Stomp with 5 extra switches.

Does it have the Command Center?

Absolutely. In fact, a big reason HX Stomp got the Command Center in 3.0 is because we had already done the work for HX Stomp XL. It makes a killer master MIDI/QWERTY controller for your entire pedalboard.

 

Wait, what happened to the Volume knob?

We moved it to the back panel to save room. It’s spring loaded so you can recess it into the chassis to keep your cables from accidentally turning it.

Can I use third-party power supplies?

Yes. Any power supply that works with HX Stomp should work fine with HX Stomp XL.

Can it load HX Stomp presets?

Yep, just drag ‘em in via HX Edit. It can also load Helix, Helix Rack+Control, Helix LT, Helix Native, and HX Effects presets, as long as they contain 8 or fewer blocks on a single DSP path.

handsomerik

I completely agree about the footswitch labelling. It’s pretty stupid how they’ve laid it out. 

I love my hx stomp but I’d rather spend that extra on a morning star midi controller which also gives scribble strips. 

bencowling81

An FAQ doesn’t make it official. It’s too clunky looking for me to believe this is the real deal.

digitalscream

bencowling81 said:

An FAQ doesn’t make it official. It’s too clunky looking for me to believe this is the real deal.

The FAQ came from @Digital_Igloo over on TGP. It's real.

sgosden

That's just how L6 do the FAQs now, with a bit of a tongue in cheek approach as they know there will always be some to complain. And written as a conversation rather than purely technical, which scares off some folk 

bencowling81

I wasn’t saying the faq is clunky. I was saying the product looks too clunky for me to believe it. I just think it looks like a photoshop effort.

chrisj1602

I think this is a good move. I got a 2 button switch for my Stomp to give me more options but was never that happy.

smudge_lad

Seen this on Instagram this morning too

horse

FAQ:

Thanks, but my personal needs require a Variax input, twice the DSP, and six switches, not eight. Why didn’t you give me exactly what I want?

<exasperated sigh>

 Or "Wait 6 months and we'll spring one of those out too"

I do wonder if potential customers may begin to wonder if they should wait before buying with so many variations still coming out

TTBZ

I like it as a Stomp does feel quite limited if you're using it for more than 1 thing at a time (I imagine even more now you can do 8 blocks) but I think I'd probably have a Pod Go before this, or stretch the extra for an LT. It feels like a bit of an expensive halfway house that's still limited by the DSP of the Stomp, but at least you won't have to faff with a Morningstar midi controller anymore.

sgosden

If there's actual demand then yeah they probably will. 
They're a business after all. And I get the feeling they probably have multiple iterations of the helix drawn up, but it's quite clear they are listening to customer wants and putting out products that suit that next group of "it's almost what I wanted" folk. 

TeleMaster

Is there much point in the HXFX now?

stonevibe

https://www.gearnews.com/leak-is-line-6-about-to-drop-the-hx-stromp-xl/

chrisj1602

TeleMaster said:

Is there much point in the HXFX now?

I guess it’s still going to be the cheapest option, assuming you only want effects.