Helix Native plugin

[incubus]

Flea will slap you down, bro.

[tapper mike]

Helix sounds good when you keep it simple and build up from an amp to get the sound you need, but some of those pre-sets are bloody awful, especially the ones that (I assume by the corny names) are supposed to sound like famous guitar songs.

I love those classic rock tones. I gig out irregularly with an odd mix of classic rock (60's, 70's,80's, 90's) Along with jazz standards. Whilst no one recognizes my jazz songs people instantly recognize my pop/rock covers. Unfortunately as I'm busking I need something that's battery powered and easy to go through patches which means a Zoom G1Xon rather than a line 6 product or Kempler.

When setting up my patches on the Zoom I used information that zoom users supply and Line 6 information. Line 6 always sounds more accurate. And the presets saved me a lot of time preparing a setlist.

Reamping with my Yamaha THR-C is a breeze, If it's that way for yamaha/line 6's bottom of the barrel offering it can't be that hard with Helix. As far as GR. I'll only use it on midi tracks for playback listening purposes only.

My major concern for Helix as a plugin is that it's got to really beat up the processor something fearce.

[incubus]

When I got my Helix (which I sold, long story, I'm a bad person) the presets were unusable. Really bummed me out at first considering the cost, but once I figured it out, it was cool.

Then I started using vst hosts (before reason 9.5) and got back into native. I'm hopeless.

[pekbro]

I suppose line 6 has recorded the sale in your account? Otherwise, I'd definitely
grab this for $99, $400 not so much...

[incubus]

I never registered it so that was one of the things the new buyer wanted. HE gets the cool deal. I'm not going with 400 usd.

Honestly, I got AT4 for 59 bucks and that unlocks all the cabs and stuff for anything you previously owned. AT4's cab config is WAY better imnsho.

I think a ton of people are turned off that there was never a proper demo of AT4. (the free one won't allow the cool cab/room options)

[Zydraka]

This gets a big fat "meh" from me. I thought Helix was supposed to be on the upper level of amp simulations, but to me the high gain amps don't sound nearly as good as Kazrog's Dual Rectifier and Diezel VH4 sims that only cost $9 each. Plus they have all the channels like the real amps instead of just one mystery channel.

The cleans sound pretty good and I like some of the effects, especially the delays (I don't know what it is but Line 6 delays just seem to sound better for guitars than other delays I've tried) but overall I was expecting way better for the price. As it stands I wouldn't buy it if it was $199. If I was going to spend $400 on something Superior Drummer 3 seems like a way better value for the price.

[Klinke1]

It seems it has 2 stereo paths and all FX have a stereo-option.
..Interesting.

AT4 Max is 357 $.
And i just noticed..199 $ on sale, atm.

Does Line6 have some deals/sales?

[SLiC]

This gets a big fat "meh" from me. I thought Helix was supposed to be on the upper level of amp simulations, but to me the high gain amps don't sound nearly as good as Kazrog's Dual Rectifier and Diezel VH4 sims that only cost $9 each. Plus they have all the channels like the real amps instead of just one mystery channel.

The cleans sound pretty good and I like some of the effects, especially the delays (I don't know what it is but Line 6 delays just seem to sound better for guitars than other delays I've tried) but overall I was expecting way better for the price. As it stands I wouldn't buy it if it was $199. If I was going to spend $400 on something Superior Drummer 3 seems like a way better value for the price.

Yeh, I am heading in that direction; I wanted to love it (after this long wait) but I just cant get that excited. As a HD500 and Pod Farm 2.5 owner I would have expected a MUCH bigger discount/incentive- more like 99 bucks....(That said I am a Superior Drummer 2 owner and we get bugger all discount for 3!)

The fx are good (they are not bad in Pod Farm) but I normally switch off the fx in my amp modelling software anyway as I prefer soundtoys and a few others....

[EvilDragon]

Guys, guys. Try loading some 3sigma or Rosen impulses into this mother, high gain amps absolutely scream with some of them!



As far as CPU, it seems pretty well behaved on my i7-6700K at 4.4 GHz here. Didn't see it go above 5-6% with any of factory presets, which is pretty good, me happy.

[SLiC]

Guys, guys. Try loading some 3sigma or Rosen impulses into this mother, high gain amps absolutely scream with some of them!

As far as CPU, it seems pretty well behaved on my i7-6700K at 4.4 GHz here. Didn't see it go above 5-6% with any of factory presets, which is pretty good, me happy.

Haven't played with the impulse side yet (just went through the pre-sets and made a few patches to my taste from scratch), I am surprised that there were not any IR's included and used as part of pre-sets top really sell this as a $400 package. I know we shouldn't, but I suspect a lot of people will just download and flick through a few of the pre-sets as is.

The Helix hardware got pretty good reviews, and this should sound exactly like the hardware assuming you have descent D/A etc. For me, I could hear more of an imitate difference between the original POD 2 and the HD500 (which I own) than I can between the HD500 and the Helix. I am sure the Helix is better, I just not sure yet how much better....and if that difference is worth the $$$ (Given that I have a HD500 in to a DT25). If I get to love the Helix sound I think I would be more inclined to sell my HD500 and by the HelixLT, it isn't that much more than the software!!

[Digital_Igloo]

I sort of feel this way about every plugin and modeler I have ever tried. The issue for me has always been that I can plug directly into a tube amp and it sounds awesome pretty much instantly.

Sure, but 90% of what people blame on modeling is actually due to the playback system. No pair of studio monitors pointing at your head will provide the same experience as a roaring cabinet with four guitar-centric drivers pointing at the back of your knees.

It's like blaming the concept of digital recording for why one's broken 4" speakers can't convince you a band is actually playing in your living room. The playback system is almost always the culprit.

_______________
Senior Product Manager, Line 6

[Digital_Igloo]

How often is Native used to describe a plug these days, it is like 2002 speak.

Native as opposed to multiple versions of Helix hardware, which is embedded DSP. If all Helix was was a plug-in, then obviously we would've called it something different. "Helix Plug-In" is a bit on-the-nose.




Oh, and like real amps and pedals, input and output levels are MISSION CRITICAL here. Keep the input in the green (—18 ~ —36dB) and boost the output to compensate. Otherwise it's like running a half dozen boost pedals in front of an amp and wondering why things sound brittle. By extension, applying Helix Native on normalized guitar tracks will almost guarantee you a bad time.

____________________
Senior Product Manager, Line 6

[EvilDragon]

This is good info to know which levels Helix expects.

[Numanoid]

"Helix Plug-In" is a bit on-the-nose.

How about Helixir -> H-elixir

The potion to cure all FX needs

[Valimesh]

I've been playing around with the demo and I'm just very disappointed...I'm a pod farm user, have been for years...I use an amp on pod farm called the spinal puppet, TONS of gain. There is no such amp in helix native and no other amp even comes CLOSE to the amount of gain the spinal puppet has. Does anyone have any suggestions?