The M5 was my favorite utility pedal because I could just throw it in the signal chain as an ad hoc effect and it could reliably do anything I would need it to do until I find a more permanent solution. This seems like the next evolution of that. I'm buying one.
This might be perfect for people like me that have a Pedaltrain Nano+ with tuner, boost, OD, Flint but have one space left over for a wild card (slapback, chorus, etc.)
This pedal is perfect for me. I have my delays and reverb basic drive and eq, but this fills in all the modulation and provides a second looper, different drive and fuzz options. All the sounds that are missing from my current setup.
I used to own the HX Effects but switched to HX Stomp since I needed the amp sim, and then eventually switched to QC since it has more foot switch and amp sim but has the size of the HX Effect but still lacks some great reverbs and delays from Helix. So I think I this would be a great addition for those who are only looking for the Helix effects.
The thing with this is that if you are putting it on a normal pedalboard, where you place it in the chain pretty much dictates what you are going to do with it. Place it at the end for reverb and delay, place it at the start for pitch and drive. I think it is more the sort of pedal to have knocking about in the studio to plug any sonic gaps you might have.
It looks like it has a Send and Return option if you are using it in mono. So, I guess you could put your pedals in the Send/Return loop and that would give you the option of having it before or after etc.
I plan on using this as my standalone delay. Getting an external switch for easier preset switching. But as a delay for me it’s a no brainer. Cheaper than a timeline. As many presets as I want. Small footprint. Good analog and digital sounds. Whatever intervals I want. Tap tempo. No crazy different current draw
Half the price of HX Effects but only 1 at a time? For 2-3, I'd be very interested. With only 1, I'm defintiely not the target audience. Wonder what this will do to sales of the DL4mk2?
Enjoyed the video. If you use the Mission co branded SP1-L6H expression pedal with the HX ONE, and connect via a TRS cable, you will get both expression control and one switch control over that single TRS cable.
My question on this would be whether or not the preset switching is reasonably seamless? I see there are no trails, but that is a separate topic. If presets can be switched without a gap, then it's a good DSP/block offloader for Stomp. I could imagine using 2-3 different delays in one Stomp Preset, switched via snapshot for example.
One effect at a time? I'm not sure why they would bother. You could get a Zoom MS-70CDR or an MS-50G and have multiple effects running in a smaller package. Anyone who is trying to get a lot of tone out of a small pedalboard needs a CDR. Interface is a tad clunky at first - but there are some cool effects in there and you can pick them up used for $100'ish.
I think this can have several approaches to use, due to the number of effects it includes, gain, delay, modulations, filters, reverbs and even compressors and equalizers, all for guitars, basses, keyboards, etc. In a studio, where many times you record each effect line independently and you have this HX One where you configure and record, this also for recordings or productions, or simple layout at home or on the road. For live, it can be a total replacement for those that use a "Delay DL4" and "M5" together (I have them and I think I will proceed to sell them and get the "HX One" that has more effects in a larger size. reduced), just adding a Midi controller and you free up a lot of space on the pedalboard. And for live sessions, depending on the musical genre, where you don't need to bring a complete pedal board, not even a mini pedalboard, you would just bring this one and that's it.
This thing is a crazy good deal. A new Eventide H9 Max is $599 in the states, a used one is more than $300. This thing does as much or more for $299 brand new! Lots of Nashville studio folks using M5s, H9s, etc so this thing makes a ton of sense for folks wanting a flexible wild card pedal without the modeling.
Good product for.people who have established pedal board with their "meat and potatoes" and have 1 spot left that can be flexed on a song to song basis.
That’s about the only reason I can think of to have one. “I need delay on song x and tremolo on song y, but I don’t need both and I need an itty bitty footprint…”
Only thing I think it has missing is an IR loader .. just like the transpose function .. being able to get something DI sorted unexpectedly would be really useful too ..
It's an evolved M5, right? If you only go in front of an amp with your pedalboard, you can use it in 4 cable method with your effect pedals, right? If this thing "remembers" if it goes before or after the amp fx loop, i may remember if it goes before or after your overdrive pedals. Line 6 embracing the USBC, baby. Yeah!
I don't own a helix product (I do have a catalyst 100) but this is the one I'm potentially interested in since it could be used a one pedal that is all the things I'd have on my board if there was infinite space but wouldn't realistically use often enough to justify a standalone pedal. I've actually been considering getting a used m5 but expected something exactly like this was coming.
Do you think that maybe in the future they might do a firmware update to the HX 1 that allows it to have 2 effects on at once but only 1 bypass button ? They did it with the HX Stomp, at the beginning it was only 5 blocks and how it's 8
Interesting new pedal. Two effects at a time would have been cool, but there's still the HX Effects for that. By the way, HX Stomp and Effects can totally be powered using a pedal board power supply. Just make sure to get a pretty beefy one and use multiple outputs. I'm happily powering my HX Stomp using the two 500 mA outputs of a Truetone CS7.
I needed this with 3 effects at the same time (reverb, delay and mods), and it would be KILLER for a small rig. But as it is, it will not cut. Maybe if you could have 1 effect + amp modeling, would be pretty cool as the last thing in my signal chain
@@NedJeffery not exactly. Is much pricier and actually pretty bulky. If I could use my overdrives + this for different kind of effects and maybe a reverb pedal it would be pretty good for half the price of the hx stomp
@@oigorboechat LOL that makes no sense. If this mythical product you want does 3x as much, it will be 3x the price. Plus it will need to have more foot switches making it bigger. And then you're just back the HX effects again.
I'm a little disappointed, but as a HX Stomp owner (for about 4 years), this probably isn't meant for me. What gets me about the value proposition is this: Imagine an absurd scenario where you're trying to equal the functionality of Stomp or HX Effects by chaining these units. You would end up with 6-8 of these one-at-a-time HX One units, the cost would be in excess of $2,400, and it would take up over 3 times the space of an HX Stomp....and you still would not have amp modeling or cab sims.
Yeah, this is definitely not for that. This is for…well…I mean…someone who only wants one effect at a time, but needs a different effect on some tunes? Folks who have just a smidge of space left on a board and want a versatile pedal? Seems like a narrow market to me, but maybe the Line 6 marketing team knows something I don’t…
Hmm not quite sure about this. Does it have an analog dry through path? If so I might be tempted but I really wish it could do a modulation verb and delay at once or run a couple different delays on left and right signal paths.
I expect to see a lot of this product category showing up from many companies, especially now that synthesizer players are getting into pedals. Most pedals are digital anyway, so it's an easy product to cook up. And Eventide set the mold a decade ago with the h9, but people missed the appeal because it required a phone app to program (which sucks) and it was super expensive. But at $300 for a box full of tricks? Awesome.
It would be great if the trails were accessible so there isn’t spillover. Just an idea, I pack around my POD Go with the stomp to get a 2 amp combo as well as additional effects. What if the HX-One was an all in one amp, a couple of effects like a stomp? Line 6 still does the best, this thing looks amazing, I also LOVE my POD Go, so if there was a small POD Go with the HX-One size, I’d be sold.
Hi John. I'm wondering if your patch folders have HX Effects patches? I'm very close to buying one and I love the sounds you get from all your boards. I'm hoping the Helix patches might be compatible?
I recently bought John's patches and yes, there are HX Effects patches. The Helix patches are not compatible with the HX Effects. They are compatible with the Helix Native plug-in though if you have that.
I can see a few companies going this way to exploit their existing products in lower cost versions - UAFX seem to be leading the way in that respect, Strymon are doing something similar. Line6 here are similarly trying to get something out before Christmas with minimal development cost. Fair use of their own excellent platform, but I hope they do an amp/cab version with a fx loop and a headphone out - I’d jump on that for sure.
I mean I think people just aren't considering the use cases for these. I'm into pedals, generally analog pedals, and I have a lot of them. Thing is, sometimes I want a ring mod, sometimes an analog delay or a S&H filter etc. but I don't necessarily want each of them taking a space on my board when I just fancy them now and then. This can be all of those once in a blue moon pedals without taking up the space of a Stomp that I'd never otherwise buy.
Wonder how this stacks up against the H9 for real world use? It's certainly got the UI advantage but how do Helix effects compare to Eventide? I keep an H9 on my board for mostly bread and butter mods, reverbs and delays. When I had a Helix, I remember the reverbs being great and the mods being average but it's had a lot of updates since.
I’ve been toying lately with heading back to individual pedals having used my LT live for the past 5 years. This would let me keep some of my favourite or “random” Helix effects without the large unit on the board. MIDI control via a switcher (gigrig etc) then you’ve got some massive functionality.
M5 replacement seems legit, but I ‘m a little surprised they didn’t go more head to head with the iridium or dream. Same form factor, 9v power, amp, IR, and verb…maybe delay (ox stomp has two buttons and it’s possible assign the buttons to each effect). With balanced outs and MIDI, and coming in at roughly 400 usd or below and you have a real contender.
For someone with Pedal board ADHD. Which I have... I didn't think this (like the M5) really had a place but like the M5, seems like an updated utility effect pedal to test a long term need or to add flavor where needed. 199 feels like a more appropriate price
Does the Looper have "auto-sensing" so it will automatically start recording when I start playing? How long a Loop can it record? My old JamMan Stereo Looper seems to be dying and acting wonky, and may need to be replaced. Auto-sensing is a must for me in a Looper. I wonder if Line 6 will also come out with a similar pedal with just the Amp and Cabs? Trivia: There is a set of Hex Wrenches called the "HX One."
My guess is once you find 5-6 tones you like, you’ll eventually find this limiting and end up having to program midi or use other outboard midi switchers to have convenient access to those tones. I wonder if HX One users will want to embed themselves into this to the extent H9 users do to get around its limitations.
There are plenty of other Line 6 products that are not limiting. I see this as just an add on to your board, so that rather than having 4 pedals that you rarely use, just have 1 pedal that can do all.
Doesn’t make sense, at least not for most people. 300$ for a single effect, just doesn’t seem worth it. Maybe for the pitch stuff, but again at that price why not just pay a couple hundred more and get a stomp, that offers way more. Just my opinion. Great video, bless you.
I super like this cause I used an M5 for a while. $300 for this as a delay pedal even is crazy. I do wish that they had an M9 equivalent, but I suppose that is the Stomp or the Effects. I think a more compact size would work well though. To be honest I am hoping a 2nd gen helix takes the quad cortex approach and goes much smaller. I would love more power in a smaller box.
Yes.... The Zoom Multistomp MS-50G pedal also allows for patches to be created and not only using x1 effect at a time. It can also be used with the ToneLib app via cable to a smartphone. Line 6 are lacking App functionality too. Shame that there is no headphone jack on a new unit like this?
I think a headphone jack was missed here....x3 effects at once would have been nice too Line 6...Delay,Reverb and Modulation in the same chain... Eg have you seen the Zoom Multistomp MS-50G pedal?
I think this is brilliant - just what I want .. I've always wished that the Zoom MS pedals had MIDI cos I would like a utility pedal for my board which can just do something weird just for one patch ..
Would consider if had amp models. Seems a shame as I'm sure the hardware is present to achieve that. As it hasn't Stomp is much, much, better value. (Alternatively, at this price, I believe 2 blocks would make it a good sell).
I pair my HX Stomp with external drives/fuzz and use the HX amp models with third party IR's through my Powercab 212+ It's the most inspiring guitar setup I've ever had in over 20 years. That said this looks great. I just can't wait to see the next generation Helix offerings to compete with the likes of Tone X, Quad Cortex, etc. Can't wait!
actually the biggest negative is it only does 1 thing at a time. I've had that in the past with another product, it was frustrating having the plenty of effects but not being able to stack them. I to use my HX stomp constantly. I don't know, wait and see.
Thanks for the cool demo! This pedal needs a phone / iPad app or something. I'm less and less interested in scrolling through yet another tiny screen regardless of the cool tech. My FM9 Turbo is a monster compared to this thing!
Granted I've never owned an Eventide H9, but this seems to be a copy of the Eventide H9. Except you can get to the effects using the pedal (without a computer)..... only reason I want a hx stomp is for amp modeling. This pedal is a miss, why didn't they just put double the DSP in the stomp and almost double the price? They would've made a ton of $
I think I would find this a lot more interesting if instead of effects it had amp models. I could stick this on my existing board and switch between amps for an easy direct rig. As useful as the HX Stomp is, the size is still a bit awkward and so is the power supply.
I mean the h9 was an incredible piece of equipment and it had one block. Where it shine tho was with midi. This probably is line 6’s answer to compete with eventide. 🤷♂️
Line 6 HX One is coming hard against Boss MD-200. Looks exactly the same shape/size. A smaller swiss knife pedal with effects loop for other pedals, but has more stuff than the MD-200. Even so, that digital screech is a big no for me.
I'm just not sure who this is for. Because I think the HX stomp is just a way better deal for not a ton more money and barely any more realestate on a pedal board. The M5 is a better value for having all of the legacy Line6 effects in a similar footprint for half the cost of this pedal. The Zoom Multistomp is also half the cost of this pedal and can do up to 6 simultaneous effects. While the quality of that isn't as great as line6 on every effect, it is pretty close. If you intend to emulate one particular effect all the time with this pedal, then you could usually get a dedicated pedal / analog pedal that does that effect even better for less money. So I'm not really sure where this fits in.
Is it me ? Zoom did the MDR multi fx pedal , all the fx , PLUS you could chain them , why not allow more than one fx at a time , makes no sense to me at this price , far too expensive for what it is
First thought was "Weird, don't get it" and I still think it's a bit expensive for what it is (UK street price £245 at the moment).....though I guess there are some real one trick ponies at about that price from the likes of Strymon etc. Upon reflection I can see times when I've run out of DSP on the Stomp that it would be useful to have something that could handle the pitch FX on one song, the infinite sustain on another etc...so maybe there's even a use for an already HX user. Can definitely see the use for conventional pedal boards, that's a lot of great FX in there. Standard 9V power supply is good. I'm not a fan of USB C though, in my experience both plugs and sockets are way less durable than ye olde USB chunky-munky (technical term for what we have on the Helix and Stomp). Interesting and great quick run though as ever. Cheers.
Not to toot my own horn, but in the comments on this very channel I predicted something pretty much exactly like this, and my guess was then and now, that it's a harbinger of the EOL for the helix line below l6 moves to singing else
