Just curious on what your thoughts are on this unit. Thinking HARD about going and impulse buying this sucker today…
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I have one. I love it. went through a bit of process adjusting, but once i found the right speaker setups… and some good YJM presets!! I’m pretty much set.
let me know if you want some more info. I’m still learning stuff… but I can help with some basics/foundational stuff.
I tried the L6 cabinet… and hated it.
I did research on speakers, and these are voiced for guitar… they sound great
I just run my Axe-FX 3 through a mixer and it shows up in my headphones, or on my “studio monitors.” Any reasonable powered speaker intended for general music reproduction seems to give good results from what I can tell, but I’m not an audiophile like some of the people here on this forum!
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all powered speakers aren’t created equal imo… everyone has different tastes.
The L6 powercab was highly rated as an “amp in the room” powered speaker…
I had the original and plus… and i just couldn’t get with it. I blame more on myself, but i just coudn’t get past the thin high end…
you really need a two speaker setup for HELIX to shine, especially you’re buying 3rd part presets/IRs
Again, i really love the Kali speakers, they sound great.
i’m using these headphones
Absolutely. From what I understand, my system has a fake amp, a fake cabinet with guitar-oriented speakers, a fake microphone, and then it basically sounds like a guitar on a record, e.g., there is no “amp in the room” sound.
So I have tried to understand what people mean by “amp in the room,” and I still can’t figure it out… but it’s real, as a huge amount of people want it and complain about modeling amps.
My probelm is that if the fake cabinet simulation is good, it should kill all of the high-end noise, and even though my actual “studio monitors” can play that, it shouldn’t reach them, as it would have been killed in the model… I think that you can easily see why I’m so confused about what “amp in the room” really is.
ok, so the whole premise behind the Line 6 power cab was to create a powered speaker, that sound like
and live amp that “moved air”… “amp in the room”
It does that, but unless you buy the 2x12 PC plus @ $1600, you will not get a stereo effect, and frankly at that absurd price, I just got disgusted with the L6 powercab.
Shelling out $900 for ONE powered speaker should yield a good tone, but again, i’m blame more on user error with the unit. People either love or hate it… I hated it.
I also have a L6 CATALALYST 2X12 which sounds really great, but still its a mono amp??
its has the same modeling tones as the HELIX, with the"amp in the room" feel…
it also can be used as an affordable powered speaker. but again… the mono feature kills it for me
Do you have issues with feedback from the way monitors aim sound directionally? I got away from this with an old Line 6 POD due to this issue.
It’s never loud enough for positive feedback, so I don’t know.
Awesome replies, thanks guys!
I gave in to gear lust! - I got The Helix LT - I had the HX Stomp, and liked it quite a bit but it’s compact size made for a bit of a foot tap-dance when I was jamming. I am currently using an L6 Powercab, and it’s good enough for me - quite frankly, I don’t really deserve the gear that I have, but I do my best to earn it hahaha Guess I better practice!
I think the thing that I like best so far is that I can create a patch, and then hit the “mode” button and turn on/off the various effects. The sweet futuristic looking screen is nice too! hahaha I love it, pretty fun!
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Congrats! Check out Line 6 Marketplace… there are thousands of premade patches for every genre of music for download for HELIX… FREE! I went in there and searched for every boutique amp from Marshall to Friedman, to Engl, Soldano, etc. and I came away with some really solid patches to fit my guitars.
For under $30 I picked up a great set of Malmsteen patches that sound great with my rig.
If the L6 Powercab fits what you want… great! Just keep in mind, you are missing out on the true power and sound abilities of using the HELIX in stereo, especially with effects and cabinet combos.
In time you may want to pick up another powered speaker to use it in stereo.
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Actually, the re-amping capabilities are very nice also. I mean, the Helix tones are awesome, and varied but it sure is nice to be able to have the option to utilize something “different” for amps and stuff, while using the Helix to “get 'er done!”.
I picked up a Boss Nextone special this spring, really cool amplifier! And another cool thing I can do easily now is send a dry out from the Helix to the Nextone, and even control the Boss patches for that amp via midi. Even in pedal mode! WOOO! Not that I would really need to use anything more than the Helix, but the option is there if I want it.
I created one patch last night, and in pedalboard mode I can easily activate different effects etc from within that patch; While lots of floor processors have a feature similar to that, the Helix really nails it I feel. I like the colour assignments too!
Good fun so far. I will be taking it to my first rehearsal today!
Yeah, I ordered a second powercab today. They aren’t that big and they pack a punch so this setup will be perfect for my live “fly rig”. My pedalboard got waaay out of hand with how much stuff could go wrong and all of the connections and stuff, plus… all of those pedals are dang expensive! lol I don’t wanna take them out of my house!
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Thats awesome. just wait until you hear that thing in stereo. you wont’ believe your ears!!
How did it turn out?
So far so good - I am really enjoying the Helix. I need to get some kind of carry-case for it, though!
Line 6 used to have real good ones I had a real nice one for my PODHD500 back in the day.
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I have had no luck getting good tones that cut through the mix. I have a Helix LT. Then I run it into an electro harmonix magnum 44 power amp into my Marshall JCM 800 Angled Cab.
I’m not happy with the sound compared to a real tube head. My sounds are so simple. A heavy metallica rhythm sound, a volume boost for solos, and regular delay to dress up the solos.
The sound is thin and tinny and doesn’t cut through the mix compared to a real tube amp IMO.
It’s very frustrating, cause last time I went on tour, we were the only band lugging around old school amps and using monitors onstage. Everyone else was direct and they sounded great.
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Aww, that sucks! My band has rehearsal tonight and it will be the first time I try the LT out - I am loving the extra buttons and the switches and stuff - but I have been using the Helix HX Stomp before that, so it should work out ok!
I thought that monitors are dead and each band member gets a custom mix in their in-ears that is optimized to their needs? 
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Yup, all the other bands were using in ears. We were the only ones using heads, cabs, and monitors.
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