Line 6 Helix

Arjailer

Barnezy said:

On the flip side, I'm a bit gutted at how I can see for the first time, how this digital tech is going to consume how guitar is gigged in the future. I really like amps and pedals, but in 5 years from now, will people look at you as if you're a weirdo, if you turn up with a real amp for your gig?

Hasn't that been the fear for 22 years since the first Pod was released? Might be a bit late to start worrying now 
On the other hand it's been 22 years and we're still not there yet, so not sure I'd expect it to suddenly happen now.

Though personally, a world where every guitarist can get great tone at a volume appropriate for the venue, and where we don't have to damage people's hearing to find the sweet spot on a 50w / 100w amp sounds pretty good to me actually   

UnclePsychosis

Barnezy said:

So, is anyone looking to sell their HX Stomp in favour of the POD Go? 

Line 6 have deffinately confused the lineup now, if that was their intention. 

No, I'll be sticking with my Stomp and I personally disagree that they've confused the market. The POD is an all-in-one rig replacement. The Stomp enhances an existing rig (i.e if you want to keep your amp and other pedals Stomp is probably better) or is a recording tool.

John_A

I think they may have confused the buyer as there is a lot of crossover between the different units, but options aren’t a bad thing.  I’d like to see even more choice, a 1u stomp rack would be lovely

simonhpieman

Helix wizards:

Just got a used LT. When it arrived I plugged it in and turned it on to check it worked, no PC connection, no guitar, no nothing.

It comes on and says
"Firmware version 2.82.0
Updating UI MCU Firmware, please wait. Do not power off unit".

There's also a little red "-7" in the top left corner.

Before we get to "send it back to the seller" he's already offered but he's been very helpful and generous thus far and I'm more than happy to try a few things first.

I've left the unit on for a couple of hours and the screen is still flashing the same.

I've cleared all Line6 software from my PC and tried reinstalling various versions of HX Edit/updater from 2.82 to the latest 2.92.

I've tried several USB ports and several cables (never any ports on the front as per Line6 instructions).

Unfortunately neither of my PCs will recognise it as being connected via USB at all and none of the combinations of holding footswitches and turning it on to reset or enter different update modes have done anything at all.

Have called Line6 and after going through all the footswitch holds again they suggested it could be a hardware issue and to contact my Line6 dealer (he kept saying "zis does not look goot" in his polite German accent which was both nice and unsettling at the same time).

Seller has mates at Yamaha/Line6 and having spoken to them is convinced it's a software issue and can be sorted by getting the right drivers on the PC.

Anyone have any advice or tips they can share? Pretty much out of ideas at this point.

mikenetic

If it's potentially a driver problem could you try hooking it up to a Mac with the latest HX edit installed to at least eliminate that as the issue?

TTBZ

Barnezy said:

So, is anyone looking to sell their HX Stomp in favour of the POD Go? 

Yeah, well sort of. I had a Stomp a while ago and had to sell it. I wasn't hugely wowed by the tones once the honeymoon had worn off, but straight away I missed it, I did loads more playing than I normally would at home when I had it. I had decided was gonna just get another Stomp when funds allow but the more I look at this the more it seems like a better option for me, so will be getting one when I can.

This actually seems more flexible for my uses, as I have no interest in the dual paths or midi functionality and would rather have those extra effect blocks to add in, plus the wah/volume is a nice extra to have. Also my real life pedalboard is pretty basic and I think could easily be replaced with the Pod Go in 4CM - when I start to add up what real pedals I'd like (plus a decent PSU and board) it soon exceeds the cost of a Pod Go so it makes sense. I'm not a huge effects user anyway but it'd be nice to have a few more options if I want them.

simonhpieman

mikenetic said:

If it's potentially a driver problem could you try hooking it up to a Mac with the latest HX edit installed to at least eliminate that as the issue?

I'm too much of a cheap ass to buy anything made by Apple but if I can find someone I can try. I assume that's because macs don't need the drivers?

mikenetic

simonhpieman said:

mikenetic said:

If it's potentially a driver problem could you try hooking it up to a Mac with the latest HX edit installed to at least eliminate that as the issue?

I'm too much of a cheap ass to buy anything made by Apple but if I can find someone I can try. I assume that's because macs don't need the drivers?

More that as it's a different operating system architecture, if it fails there too then it increasingly points to the unit being the problem.

siremoon

simonhpieman said:

Helix wizards:

Just got a used LT. When it arrived I plugged it in and turned it on to check it worked, no PC connection, no guitar, no nothing.

It comes on and says
"Firmware version 2.82.0
Updating UI MCU Firmware, please wait. Do not power off unit".

There's also a little red "-7" in the top left corner.

Before we get to "send it back to the seller" he's already offered but he's been very helpful and generous thus far and I'm more than happy to try a few things first.

I've left the unit on for a couple of hours and the screen is still flashing the same.

I've cleared all Line6 software from my PC and tried reinstalling various versions of HX Edit/updater from 2.82 to the latest 2.92.

I've tried several USB ports and several cables (never any ports on the front as per Line6 instructions).

Unfortunately neither of my PCs will recognise it as being connected via USB at all and none of the combinations of holding footswitches and turning it on to reset or enter different update modes have done anything at all.

Have called Line6 and after going through all the footswitch holds again they suggested it could be a hardware issue and to contact my Line6 dealer (he kept saying "zis does not look goot" in his polite German accent which was both nice and unsettling at the same time).

Seller has mates at Yamaha/Line6 and having spoken to them is convinced it's a software issue and can be sorted by getting the right drivers on the PC.

Anyone have any advice or tips they can share? Pretty much out of ideas at this point.

Whilst Yamaha/Line6 ought to know what they are talking about I'm struggling to understand why driver problems on the PC would prevent the unit from booting.  If it were me then I'd break this down into two separate problems.  a.  Get the unit to boot up. b. Get the unit to connect to the PC.

You say you went through "all" of the FS hold options (there are 9 iirc).  Did that include Safe Boot? 

simonhpieman

siremoon said:

simonhpieman said:

Helix wizards:

Just got a used LT. When it arrived I plugged it in and turned it on to check it worked, no PC connection, no guitar, no nothing.

It comes on and says
"Firmware version 2.82.0
Updating UI MCU Firmware, please wait. Do not power off unit".

There's also a little red "-7" in the top left corner.

Before we get to "send it back to the seller" he's already offered but he's been very helpful and generous thus far and I'm more than happy to try a few things first.

I've left the unit on for a couple of hours and the screen is still flashing the same.

I've cleared all Line6 software from my PC and tried reinstalling various versions of HX Edit/updater from 2.82 to the latest 2.92.

I've tried several USB ports and several cables (never any ports on the front as per Line6 instructions).

Unfortunately neither of my PCs will recognise it as being connected via USB at all and none of the combinations of holding footswitches and turning it on to reset or enter different update modes have done anything at all.

Have called Line6 and after going through all the footswitch holds again they suggested it could be a hardware issue and to contact my Line6 dealer (he kept saying "zis does not look goot" in his polite German accent which was both nice and unsettling at the same time).

Seller has mates at Yamaha/Line6 and having spoken to them is convinced it's a software issue and can be sorted by getting the right drivers on the PC.

Anyone have any advice or tips they can share? Pretty much out of ideas at this point.

Whilst Yamaha/Line6 ought to know what they are talking about I'm struggling to understand why driver problems on the PC would prevent the unit from booting.  If it were me then I'd break this down into two separate problems.  a.  Get the unit to boot up. b. Get the unit to connect to the PC.

You say you went through "all" of the FS hold options (there are 9 iirc).  Did that include Safe Boot? 

Thanks for your reply!

Switches 6+12, right? Sadly I've tried that a number of times. And 9+10. And 4 (I think it was) on it's own. And 8+9. Possibly not all 9 combinations but I can definitely give that a go, even though I'm not convinced it'll help. It seems like it's just not recongising any button presses or anything.

Bidley

sweepy said:

Bidley said:

This has probably been asked a bunch of times, but what powered cabs are people using for the Helix live?

The Matrix stuff looks good but a bit spendy. Are the Alto or Headrush things any good?

Atomic CLR, the best I have ever used, why penny pinch ?

Because I'm on a budget. And if I can get 95% of the way there by spending considerably less, then I'm ok with that.

sgosden

Bidley said:

sweepy said:

Bidley said:

This has probably been asked a bunch of times, but what powered cabs are people using for the Helix live?

The Matrix stuff looks good but a bit spendy. Are the Alto or Headrush things any good?

Atomic CLR, the best I have ever used, why penny pinch ?

Because I'm on a budget. And if I can get 95% of the way there by spending considerably less, then I'm ok with that.

Are you wanting FRFR or something to drive a normal guitar cab? 

John_A

I used a dB technologies B-Hype 8 that was about £100 as a personal monitor and just went direct to the PA for the out-front sound, it was perfectly acceptable.  Any good PA speaker, dB, RCF, Yamaha, Alto will sound good, which model to get really depends on how loud you need to be.  I'm sure a CAR or something would be 'better' but a standard PA cab IMO is certainly good enough and sounds great.  Currently use a dB Flexsys FM10 which is fantastic and louder than a loud thing

monquixote

Voxman said:

@TTBZ ;'re pitch shift Digital Igloo on the Line 6 forum said that:

"Unfortunately, POD Go's semi-fixed DSP allocation wouldn't allow for hardcore polyphonic pitch algorithms. Helix/HX could, but it'd likely take up half of a single DSP (1/2 of HX Effects/Stomp or 1/4 of Helix)."

@Digital_Igloo ; I find this puzzling.

Digitech, Boss, TC and EHX all have great poly octave pedals and none of them use massive dedicated SHARC processors to my knowledge. I'm pretty sure the algo isn't running in some bespoke ASIC because Mooer ripped off the one for the POG.

Why is it so processor intensive to do something like a POG on the Helix?

hubobulous

@Digital_Igloo - any thoughts to help with this for @simonhpieman ;?

Cirrus

Hah, I just came to question that too. I know there's been talk about the polyphonic stuff being developed for a couple of years now - I'm just idly musing out loud here, because I too am wondering how, say, EH can have the Pog, Hog, even Ring Thing with great quick polyphonic tracking... but presumably they've hit on a really efficient algorithm which is the IP of EH/ whoever the parent company is, and Line 6 are having to "reinvent the wheel" as it were. And maybe they've got an incredible sounding algo behind closed doors, but are worried that to release something that uses 1/4 of the DSP of the entire unit will make the Helix seem underpowered to people who don't understand what's going on?

To be fair, I think the monophonic pitch shifting ain't bad at all - I regularly use octave down for single note riffing, and the whammy model works as well as I'd hope - ie glitchy but cool, and apes the real thing well.

WiresDreamDisasters

Is half of a SHARC for polyphonic pitch really that out of the ordinary? Hard to compare really unless you know the internals of a Whammy or a Pitchfork for example. Maybe those processors inside those units are roughly equivalent to half of a SHARC ?

WiresDreamDisasters

As for pitch effects, this is from our upcoming album:
https://soundcloud.com/sloppiestholes/drebow

I couldn't get the tone with a Whammy or Pitchfork. The background sweeps were not subtle or controllable enough. Helix smashed it out of the park!

monquixote

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Is half of a SHARC for polyphonic pitch really that out of the ordinary? Hard to compare really unless you know the internals of a Whammy or a Pitchfork for example. Maybe those processors inside those units are roughly equivalent to half of a SHARC ?

It seems unlikely considering you can run the overtone on a boss GT-1 amongst loads of other stuff.

Bidley

sgosden said:

Bidley said:

sweepy said:

Bidley said:

This has probably been asked a bunch of times, but what powered cabs are people using for the Helix live?

The Matrix stuff looks good but a bit spendy. Are the Alto or Headrush things any good?

Atomic CLR, the best I have ever used, why penny pinch ?

Because I'm on a budget. And if I can get 95% of the way there by spending considerably less, then I'm ok with that.

Are you wanting FRFR or something to drive a normal guitar cab? 

FRFR - the terminology escaped me