+1. Looking at moving from Guitar Rig (in part because of NI deserting Rig Kontrol 3 owners without even offering a replacement) - and this really causes me a headache. The Tone Master Pro's UI rules, but they are really going to have to move in terms of firmware development to keep their offer looking worth the extra ££ (altho I see the price is starting to drop) if Line 6 are going to carry on like this. As you say, the continuing commitment to the Helix platform really does the company credit.
@@bro7269🤔😂🙄 just breakdown and buy one of their modellers! Even if they make new hardware there’s more than enough there now in existing units to carry you for years! I’ve got the LT (&Catalyst)😊
For me Line6' steady software release cycles have been one of the major deciding factors in purchasing a platform (Helix Floor) that has been around for 8 years now.
I mean, come on - 8 years in the wild and still being updated! This is something all companies should learn and follow. It also proves that if you get the platform right the first time, it just keeps delivering. Line6 got it right in 2015 and it still pays in 2023/2024
Yes. That's what other companies also do. I don't want to compare - I don't only own the Helix but also all the other great names. There are others, like... greenish ones... that have been doing this for 12 years.
@@alienlovesecrets9379 yes Kemper does it, too. My comment was more towards overseas brands that attract customers by low price. I wonder what future holds for Fender tone master pro as well. Will they be able to keep the platform alive this long? And when you look outside of modellers keeping high tech products alive this long is not always the standard. Android phones anyone?
When Yamaha bought Line 6, people said "What will Happen". Well this happened : Yamaha products are more than well supported since the beginning of times so, you could expect quality upgrades for a long time. In fact, that what sold me to buy a Helix LT back in 2018. I was looking for a "multi-effect" and the guy at the store said "We have a discount on this" and of course, I was sceptical of Line 6 until he told me "Yamaha owns Line 6". Did not even try it and never look back. Sold all of my amps, got "Native" for recording. It's the best tool I have.
In case you make a separate video on the nonlinear reverb - please, do put it in front of a dirty amp or a gain pedal, first in chain pretty much, and try the reverse options as such, with some chords, tremolo picking etc. The effect is intended to be a shoegaze'y one and that's how they're used
Awesome 👍 Every year around this time, Line 6 releases an outstanding, new Firmware Update. Never disappointed! I always enjoy the Line 6 unique Amps. The Line 6 Team are legends in my book. Can't wait to update! Thanks 👏😎
line 6 is the best! just installed the new update. it’s amazing. the nobles sounds killer and i’m so glad they finally added a reverse style reverb!! shoegaze for dayssss
Hey man, I purchased access to your presets and Ive been absolutely loving them. My only suggestion is that there could be a more explanatory naming system for the presets. I find myself having to go through and rename the presets with the type of tone in the title.
This is a really great release. I just put it in my Helix and Stomp and made a couple of great presets. I did use some 3rd party IR's though. I find it amazing that as old as the Helix is it still holds up to all the other modelers as far as tone is concerned. I think they all sound different too.
I was really close to selling my Helix Floor - as I had been focused on my pedalboard for quite some time. I do love the Tonex around which it is currently configured - it sounds incredible! But after getting a few unserious nibbles on my ad, I pulled out the Helix and played through it a bit and changed my mind! I need to do this update post haste! I can’t wait to try the Noble preamp! Keep chugging along Yamaha & Line 6!!!
Wow! Really excited about this one. Sad about the Variax but the Helix just keeps getting better. Thanks for the great walkthrough. Not sure how much of a pain it is but I always appreciate you adding chapters to these videos.
The wait-list on those is very long on top of it being super expensive, from what my bass buddies say. Even so, it really has become a Nashville standard for bass players
@@xdoctorblindx Gamechanger update for bass players will be blend control on all (or most effects/amps at least) stuff there and capability of making more splits in the chain than just one
Hey Jon. I don’t know if you did it before but you could make a video about some os these chords that you play on your demo videos! Great job as always!!
Hx stomp probably single greatest piece of gear ever released. Wish they’d add three things: a reverb like the Tera echo, a step phaser, and a few more synthy effects. It’d be the greatest unit in history.
That digital conversion of single coil hum + rfi from the computer screen or whatever was going on made for an unpleasant underlying sound, despite the-as always-- great content
Could it be your USB cables are not shielded well enough? Of course that's just a wild guess. They have such high frequency square waves passing through them, there's got to be a lot of RFI potential.
Man all these updates are really making me considering upgrading my pod to a full helix floor overtime, or at least and hx stomp with pedals for amp sims and all the weird/cool stuff
I have found the Line 6 Kinetic to be fantastic. Pair it with the 4x12 WhoWatt 100 cab and it is money, both for high gain and edge of breakup. Highly recommend pushing this amp with Kinky boost in front with drive on 2.0 and/or Tone Sovereign pretty close to stock but with clipping on distortion.
BIG NOD to you again John... never cease to amaze me at your videos in quality, humor and you always seem to migrate back to the Line 6 Helix which is where I intend to remain for yet another 5 years or more... GREAT job as usual and the quickes way possible to get great tones... i have used a number of your patches and still continue to do so. THANK YOU for your guidance!
amazing, thrilled with the new bass amp options, my guitar side is very happy with matching models for my catalyst and the Freq out to warm my inner show gazer
John gets another Dumble!!! The new Marshall sounds Quite promising. You are so quick at getting a great preset with all NEW STUFF. JUST outstanding!!! That feedbacker will need to be set to very Minimal settings, wow so sensitive. It could get like an annoying hollowbody guitar. Wow that nonlinear, has such an unusual swirling effect, real ethereal/eerie sound to it.
I run my HX Effects through a Boss IR200 in the send/return, so its always nice to get a couple more effects, but i have to say, the case for swapping that setup out for a stomp or stomp xL is becoming clearer as a better value way to go. I just wish i didn’t love those damn scribble strips so much!
Hi, I really enjoy your videos. With the release of the new ehx Pico line up it would be a really interesting video idea to explore the pog or pitch fork alternatives in the helix and how they compare. Cheers
@@andrewhively5191 true, but isn't the JCM800 pretty much a plexi circuit with extra preamp stage and master volume. There's a boost on the lion so it might be possible to get similar
In a time some years ago,,about,,2.7 time,,i was really thought,,sell the shit,,,but,,i cant be more happy about i diddent do it,,thanks to John for his really good work,,and the team in Line 6,,🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻
I've just done an A/B comparison of the Prize vs my real ODR-1. I Inserted my board via the Send/Returns, balanced the levels and dialled the Prize to as close to my regular ODR-1 settings as I could comfortably get. To my ear, the Prize sound gets Very Very close as does the feel/dynamic response. Well done Line 6 👍 PS My Nobels ODR-1 is the ODR-1BC model from 2020 My tests mostly done with Humbuckers and the Bass Cut ON I DID try a bit of Bass Cut OFF and there was a Slight difference in the amount of cut, but very slight.
Now I'm looking through the Distortions to find a match for my Lightspeed, cos I like to run the Lightspeed into the ODR on my board. Yeah , I know that Uncle Larry runs them the other way around ... but hey ! He is a genius player ... I'm not 😜 So far I have the Heir Apparent performing those duties inside the Helix. BTW - Having a 12 pedal board Inserted through Helix is marvellous Overkill 😝 Very well behaved it is too, I might add.
love we get the Catalyst stuff - why not - its already modelled. but the new cabs finished it all off for me. NOW if we can get a new Helix with more DSP and smaller footprint about the size of a QC - it would be perfect!!!
Generally, I just dig listening to your playing but this is an awesome preview of the tones. Thank you for doing it. I often skip updates but that feed-baker seems like it could be very useful. Side topic, there's a bit of weird audio interference. It might be a data cable running alongside an audio cable. It sounds like data interference at least... It's not horrible or anything. Just thought you'd want to know. I'm listening on headphones today.... Be well and keep ripping man.
This sounds like a GREAT update. Several things I wanted: Feedbacker, Nobels, JCM800, HiWatt cab. Can't wait to try it out. Edit: and a reverse reverb? It's not even Christmas. These were all things I wanted for years
Please, Line6 - give us fully double-DSP powered Helix, but in less bulky form factor. Just the same as Helix, but with 8-10 footswitches and with the dimensions of the quad cortex, Please
Yes!!! I was just thinking to myself a few days ago that it's about time for a new update and I really wish we could get a feedback effect. Wish granted.
Sounds awesome guys but some of us enjoy playin guitar more than others I guess…instead of twiddling buttons and knobs u could be playing guitar. I still love my pod 2.0, dont have to be very tech savvy to get a great sound! Wish I had the patience and know how to tinker with things to get the sound…totally worth it in the end but just to old I guess. Happy tweakin😊
At this point I would not know what a 'perfect' modeler would be. Seems that as far as sound goes we have reach a point of diminishing returns. The Helix line is still up there with the rest of them and not sure what a newer version would actually bring to the table. For the footprint size of the HX Stomp there really isn't anything much better at the price point. The updates really keep the line going. What really needs improvements is the playback system. The Fender FRFR series of cabs are going in the right direction and hope that others take notice. I think that neutral amp FRFR cabs that look like real amps are the way to go for many.
I’ve said it before but it’s like what Sony does with PlayStation. Release a well designed rugged hardware unit once every 10 years and then just keep updating the software. Great business model. I think the Helix as a hardware unit still stands up to the rest. - DSP not yet limiting, great UI and expression pedal and lots of switches, what more do we need 😂
I wouldn't go that far but Helix is most definitely proven technology with a steady release cycle of updates, which still remains to be seen for some of these competing modelers.
This is cool and all but really been hoping on some quality of life improvements like adding a delay compensation parameter to split paths, instead of wasting a block on simple delay when having a parallel fx loop block
Ever since I got a HX Stomp and Helix Native, they make it impossible to justify buying any other guitar software/hardware. The quality/value proposition can't be touched. Hardware and VST with drag and drop? No one else even does that. I just wish I did it before buying a bunch of plugins first lol.
Line 6 has really gone a long way in product support, I remember buying the POD HD, that generation felt like it only lasted 6 months and very little upgrades and support. I boycotted Line 6 after that, didn't buy a helix product until last year.
I was thinking they were done updating this thing and some new gen stuff was imminent. but I guess maybe not :0. crazy how much value my little stomp keeps getting i only paid $400 for the thing
If I see that many slider/options etc it just makes me angry after a while ;) I used to like that in the past but now I just want simple easy setups .. I hate it if I have to go into menus and under menus and so on... I just want to PLAY
Ugh I'm still so conflicted on which modeler to buy as someone who has only owned tube amps 😂... It seems like there is no "best" option and each one has something that it does better than the others. With each new update the decision gets even murkier I probably would have gotten a Helix by now if it weren't 8 years old. I know Line 6 plans to support it for years to come, but I have a hard time committing that much money towards a product that may be outdated compared to the competition within 2 years. I'm also wondering if I should just wait until after winter NAMM and see if Tonex or Fractal or somebody else releases their "next-gen" product thats been rumored for so long? Or there's also a chance I wait and nothing new and intriguing comes out and then I blew an opportunity to justify the purchase using the Holidays as an excuse. So many questions...
I was in a similar position and finally settled on a compromise. I found a deal on a Stomp XL that serves most of my modeling needs until the next gen follow-up to the Helix Floor is released.
@@StrumBelievable That does sound like a good compromise, however I believe the Helix Stomp cannot function as an audio interface correct? I would also like to start learning to record and do not currently have an interface, so a unit that could function as both would be attractive to me
@@gdawgs101 You don't need a DI. Page 11 of the Stomp XL manual shows how to connect it straight to your computer via USB. Page 61 has a whole section on USB recording. You can download the manual from Line6. Also, I'm sure someone here knows the details. Anyone? You would need some powered monitors to hear what's going on. Or maybe just some good headphones. HTH
Not sure if this is the answer you're looking for, but you can try Helix Native, which is 50% off right now. It's a VST, but it has all (or at least most) of the functionality of a Helix in a VST.
You can save money by going for the LT version. The only things you'd be missing out on are a few extra I/O jacks on the back, and the mini-LED displays on top, and stomp mode gives you all the information you would get from those anyway.
Yeah changing notes with long release time on the feedback is unrealistic but an opportunity for some young kid to use it to create wild new sounds…I mean feedback was a “flaw” in the first place.
