Line 6 Helix Reviews Are Starting to Appear...

My 10 pence, hehe sorry, 10 cents!
I'm with Fractal.
I like the fact that the actual creator of the Axe can read our posts and engages with us. He reads the requests and even implements some of them!
Just because Line6 is a corporation with large resources does not mean that it could necessarily develop a product to rival the Axe.
Remember, Cliff has had several 'eureka' moments during the development of the Axe, so there is more to this modelling game than we realise.
It is amazing one talented man did all this.
Just because a corporation has 'x' amount of people to work on something doesn't mean they can develop a better product.
Sure you can have a lot of people working on something, but all it can take is one Einstein [in the field of amp modelling] with fantastic skills and programming talent to defeat an entire corporation in terms of modelling quality.
 
I think the Helix was destined to be greater but for whatever reason line 6 (jumped to beat the AX8 to the draw or management pushing them to get the product out after 4 years?) had them waiting at distribution centers for release ready firmware, presets, optimized preset switching times etc....
If they were shipped with all this pending, then the developers were being pushed? I really hope they get all of their issues worked out and they show the level of after sale support that's been mentioned.
 
The Helix is quite good & very easy to use. They will sell a lot of these.......

It has a very immediate open tone. Good IR's can bring some amp models to Axe/KPA levels.

My favorite amp model so far is the Hiwatt. When pushed it can have that great Marshall type squishy/saggy feel/tone.

Give it a couple months for it to get in more folks hands, & for more people to get familiar with the unit & their favorite IR's etc.........there will be plenty of great clips I'm sure.
 
1234 said:
My 10 pence, hehe sorry, 10 cents!
I'm with Fractal.
I like the fact that the actual creator of the Axe can read our posts and engages with us. He reads the requests and even implements some of them!
Just because Line6 is a corporation with large resources does not mean that it could necessarily develop a product to rival the Axe.
Remember, Cliff has had several 'eureka' moments during the development of the Axe, so there is more to this modelling game than we realise.
It is amazing one talented man did all this.
Just because a corporation has 'x' amount of people to work on something doesn't mean they can develop a better product.
Sure you can have a lot of people working on something, but all it can take is one Einstein [in the field of amp modelling] with fantastic skills and programming talent to defeat an entire corporation in terms of modelling quality.
Click to expand...


I think we're all with Fractal. But the thread was about the quality of the Line6 Helix. Which is stellar. Not another guessing game and moot opinions based upon past products and an admiration list about Cliff Chase, who would probably be the first to tell you that he alone did not build this company, as you stated.

When I first heard of Fractal I was given a couple links to websites like these that had a ton of opinions based upon personal trials and amazing success stories! I truly wanted to find something wrong with this unit because I kept hearing how much John Petrucci loved and used this machine, and I cannot STAND Dream Theatre, or his guitar playing. Luke warm songwriting over semi-clever rhythms has never been my thing but I had to hear this Axefx. Boy were you guys right. Boy was Petrucci right!! Digital caught up with analog and the magic box was mine! Hook line and sinker!

Guess what...
L6, Kemper, TC, and most definitely Fractal will have more products that will dwarf Axefx in the future. Might not be tomorrow, or next year but the bar has been set. Even on this forum people speculate and set up improvement threads to products and updates that haven't even come out yet! Some urge you, make opinions based upon gear you have tried personally. Or maybe in 2023 the Behringer Ultimate Modeler III will pass right over your head because you had a Bugera that took a dump on your pedalboard in 2009!
 
My Helix went back today - it sounded fizzy to me, didn't have the hi-def modulated delays I needed and I suffered from a number of freezes......plus for all the hype about the display I actually struggled with it...not as intuitive as you might think. No way would I have gigged it....aside from the lock ups, it had a, I dunno, sort of cheap feel to certain parts of it....like it was only partially resolved as an engineering project?
 
Dealmaker said:
My Helix went back today - it sounded fizzy to me, didn't have the hi-def modulated delays I needed and I suffered from a number of freezes......plus for all the hype about the display I actually struggled with it...not as intuitive as you might think. No way would I have gigged it....aside from the lock ups, it had a, I dunno, sort of cheap feel to certain parts of it....like it was only partially resolved as an engineering project?
Click to expand...

I paid a visit to the L6 support forum - looks like a lot of people are experiencing lockups with the Helix. The display apparently goes black & a factory reset is the only way to bring it back.
 
Bugs will get fixed.. firmware hopefully updated ;) past being a guide, I have no faith in them fixing certain issues. Remember how they abandoned their flagship product the vetta? It's a sexy product, but sounds like it was rushed out.
 
jyflorida said:
I paid a visit to the L6 support forum - looks like a lot of people are experiencing lockups with the Helix. The display apparently goes black & a factory reset is the only way to bring it back.
Click to expand...

The problem is ...once you've had a couple of lock ups it undermines your confidence in the product - I have not had a major issue with the Fractal FXII in 4 years of gigging use - I doubt the Helix would be as reliable!
 
dpeterson said:
Bugs will get fixed.. firmware hopefully updated ;) past being a guide, I have no faith in them fixing certain issues. Remember how they abandoned their flagship product the vetta? It's a sexy product, but sounds like it was rushed out.
Click to expand...

Yeah - its looks quite sexy but its much more prosumer in touch an feel than a "professional" piece of equipment. My FX8 felt like a piece of military hardware next to it!
 
Dealmaker said:
My Helix went back today - it sounded fizzy to me, didn't have the hi-def modulated delays I needed and I suffered from a number of freezes......plus for all the hype about the display I actually struggled with it...not as intuitive as you might think. No way would I have gigged it....aside from the lock ups, it had a, I dunno, sort of cheap feel to certain parts of it....like it was only partially resolved as an engineering project?
Click to expand...
Watch out. Tailstop thinks you're a hater now!
 
Every company has issues with gear like this. Fractal certainly did... Get on a Kemper forum and you'll find droves of former Axefx-ers that swear up and down that Fractal was a pit stop before being enlightened by the Kemper!
L6 has a stellar new product that I thought sounded great, looked great, accurately priced, and was built amazingly well. Bugs? Yep. That's going to happen with EVERY product. My MFC took a dump once and had to be sent back. There have been several instances where my AxefxII would freeze or do some weird maneuver, but I always just figured that's the price for having "genius in a box".
I thought the modulation effects were crystal clear and easily manipulatable! So did the other 4 engineers I was with when we hooked it up to a pair of CLRs and my Xitone cab in a studio setting.
I thought the hd500 felt cheap and sounded thin. I simply couldn't dial in tones I needed! The idea of such a compact floor unit with those bells and whistles was very tasty, but alas. Nope.
 
jyflorida said:
I paid a visit to the L6 support forum - looks like a lot of people are experiencing lockups with the Helix. The display apparently goes black & a factory reset is the only way to bring it back.
Click to expand...

Were. I believe they fixe this days ago with a firmware update.
 
This is a joke. I feel I have to say that here.

But when it comes to Fractal (or Kemper on their forum), the active participants all seem to have faced this:

 
DavidE said:
This is a joke. I feel I have to say that here.

But when it comes to Fractal (or Kemper on their forum), the active participants all seem to have faced this:

Click to expand...

or they've had experience with said company and been burned too many times...
 
yes but while i can't speak for Kemper, Fractal goes above and beyond to not only fix any issues, but to support their products like no one else in the business. L6 has a track record of barely acknowledging issues, and charging for any sort of add on they can.
 
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