HX Stomp as backup to FM3

[laxu]

Shhh....don’t tell Jason Saddites.

People have been saying this since day one, but L6 appears to be blind in that ear:

He's basically championing taking the time to tweak it...which can give you good results but why would you bother when you can get those results just by loading a 3rd party IR? Nearly always sounds better to me than whatever I painstakingly edited with the cab block using two cabs/mics.

What Line6 does is often shrouded in mystery so for all we know they could be working on upgrading it. But it's one of those things that takes time to do well if you want something better than a huge list of IRs to choose from. Yes, that's a dig at Fractal's cab block, file browsers are not a good way to define your cab sound.

 

[Tonedeaf]

I have an Atomic Amplifire, but I haven't used it in so long I've probably forgotten how it works. My real backup is my Louis Electric amp through a load box, but I haven't turned that on for a while either, but I think I can still remember how it works.

 

[ElectricPhase]

What Line6 does is often shrouded in mystery so for all we know they could be working on upgrading it. But it's one of those things that takes time to do well if you want something better than a huge list of IRs to choose from. Yes, that's a dig at Fractal's cab block, file browsers are not a good way to define your cab sound.

I agree with you in principle, but a fancy IR selection interface with mic position and distance is also problematic. IRs are so much a matter of taste and can be produced in so many different ways that anything other than the current free-for-all will cramp somebody's style....probably a lot of somebodies.

 

[laxu]

I agree with you in principle, but a fancy IR selection interface with mic position and distance is also problematic. IRs are so much a matter of taste and can be produced in so many different ways that anything other than the current free-for-all will cramp somebody's style....probably a lot of somebodies.

I think that's actually exactly why virtual mic position UIs are great: If you don't like how someone else mixed it, just change it a bit. It's often you end up with IRs where you think "hmm, this is a bit too bright but otherwise I like it" and can only try another one in the set to try to correct it. Virtual mic UIs take the guesswork out of the equation and give you more tools to do it to your liking.

Of course there is also value in having someone else mix things perfectly to your tastes as a ready IR mix so it's not so cut and dry.

 

[ak301]

Shhh....don’t tell Jason Saddites.

People have been saying this since day one, but L6 appears to be blind in that ear:

Did you see the video when he got his FM3 and made a preset and he got loads of comments that it was his best tone

I completely agreed

 

[Jarick]

HX Stomp is a really fun little device. I think it's a perfect little unit for a backup. It doesn't have nearly the power of the FM3 and some of the effects aren't up to par (the choruses are all very cheesy sounding). But it can still be dialed in to sound great.

 

[an_haus]

I always bring the HX Stomp as backup for the FM3. Out of curiosity I did the last rehearsal with the Stomp and was actually very suprised. I can still hear a big difference in presence and feel but in the whole mix its not as drastic and since I am playing with a pop act I think the audience wouldnt notice as guitar isnt the most prominent element in the live mix. I also have the stomp since it came out and have been really liking it since the last updates. But for recording its not getting close to Fractal modelling.

 

[hole]

I'm using an old Vox Tonelab LE...which sounds surpringly good (but some presets/amp sound surprisingly bad)

 

[Kruegmeister]

HX Stomp is a no-brainer as a backup device due to its small size. If you want you could even use it together with the FM3 to augment its capabilities!

The biggest failing of the whole Helix series is the cab block. Use a 3rd party IR instead and it's great.

I am doing exactly this. Using the HX Stomp to Complement my FM3, it sits in the Out2->In2 Loop & I use it for its Virtual Capo mainly.
My HX Stomp Preset 99 is Virtual Capo -> Pitch Shifter -> Klon -> SD-1
That one gets loaded for all of my FM3 patches.
But I also have the HX Stomp loaded with some Patches from my Helix that I was running & I had to add some simplified Patches for Virtual Capo as it fills up the DSP pretty quick on the Stomp. Those are there in case I need to use it as a Backup instead of as my Capo.
If the FM3 Capo ever gets updated then it might come off the Board & I'd just use the FM3 Capo...

 

[supersonic182]

I also use my HX Stomp as a "holy shit" backup solution in case the FM3 were to go down at a gig.
I've always been able to get awesome sounds out of both my old Helix floor and the Stomp.
Having said that...the little "digital artifacts" that are really pronounced when holding a sustained note during a lead always bothered me with Helix.

Audience probably doesn't hear it....but I do.

And yes, I prefer the FM3 to Helix. But it's not like they are super far apart in tone. The HX Stomp is a great backup unit and I wouldn't miss a beat if I had to switch over mid-gig.

What on earth do you guys mean if the FM3 goes down? Is that...something I should be concerned about? lol

Jason Sadites irritated me so much I sold my Helix and bought into Fractal.

 

[philipacamaniac]

What on earth do you guys mean if the FM3 goes down? Is that...something I should be concerned about? lol

Jason Sadites irritated me so much I sold my Helix and bought into Fractal.

You don’t need to be concerned haha. A lot of musicians have engineer tendencies, and one of those tendencies is to plan for the worst.

I’ve been in the Fractal world for awhile and haven’t had gear go down. Cables, on the other hand - those are always dicey.

 

[AxeManDan]

I have a HX Stomp, haven’t plugged it in for awhile. Form factor is great and it’s certainly a lot in a small box, perfect for an emergency backup that can fit in your bag. It sounds “ok” but simply does not compete with my Fractal units in tone. The latest update was a step in the right direction. As others have said you really need to use 3rd party IRs, stock ones are not good. I thought about using it as a multi FX unit in the loop of one of my amps, and it sounds pretty mediocre that way. I’ve never really got on well with L6 products but gave this one a try. Will probably keep it around but honestly I don’t know that I’ll use it.

 

[Ugly Bunny]

I have a HX Stomp, haven’t plugged it in for awhile. Form factor is great and it’s certainly a lot in a small box, perfect for an emergency backup that can fit in your bag. It sounds “ok” but simply does not compete with my Fractal units in tone. The latest update was a step in the right direction. As others have said you really need to use 3rd party IRs, stock ones are not good. I thought about using it as a multi fix unit in the loop of one of my amps, and it sounds pretty mediocre that way. I’ve never really got on well with L6 products but gave this one a try. Will probably keep it around but honestly I don’t know that I’ll use it.

I feel ya. The main reason I keep mine around is that I invented a Mode Mod for it; a thin aluminum bar attached to it using dual lock that allow you to tap the "Page >" button with your feet so you can quickly go from Snapshot to Stomp to Preset etc modes without having to bend down and push the button. I also made a Tuner Mod which hits the Action button AND the Page > button at the same time, allowing you to activate the tuner in any mode. I use the Stomp to help shape and then to test every unit before it gets shipped. I sell about 1 every 2 weeks or so, so it's not a huge income, but it's enough to keep the Stomp around.

I whipped up my backup presets after the new update. I do think it sounds better than before, but still not even close to what I can get with my Axe Fx III or FM3.