Line6 Helix Stadium

Status
Not open for further replies.
Congratulations to the team at Line6. It looks cool and I'm glad to see innovation in the modeling space. Competition is good for everyone. This will likely be a huge seller for Line6 putting them undisputedly back in their spot at the top of the heap for modeling devices not sold by Fractal. I look forward to the inevitable graphs and charts thread that Cliff will put together once he gets his hands on one for competitive analysis.

I predict that this will be a big hit to NDSP QC sales given that is appears to be similar in size, similar in price, superior in features, and is offered by a company with a reputation for actually delivering on their marketing promises. The Fender TMP will maintain its current market share because it has the Fender marketing behind it and its target demographic is people who want a highly simplified (not fully featured) product. The fact that this will be yet another product to offer profiling / cloning technology and in light of the very lack luster announcement of the Kemper mark II products, I don't expect Kemper will remain a significant player in the industry moving forward unless they have a true next generation product coming shortly.

As it stands, I'm quite happy with my Axe-FX III and FM9. There would have to be a truly revolutionary product for me to be interested in something new from any company other than Fractal at this point. From what I have seen, the features that HX Stadium brings to the table aren't the sorts of things that get me all that excited. What I see as the main new points are a very slick new touch screen and UI (nice, but it does nothing for me while I'm actually playing my guitar), profiling / cloning (not interested in that workflow), new amp modeling algorithm (nice, but I'll be shocked if it out performs the Axe-FX III), and showcase (cool, but not something that I need or anticipate that I would use).
 
km 202257 said:
I heard that this comes with a "dynamic impedance curve", which seems to suggest that it models the dynamic changes in speaker impedance curve depending on the input to speaker cabs. I'm not sure if such dynamic changes even exist in real life, but if that's the case, it could be one of Helix's advantages over Fractal with regards to accuracy.
Click to expand...

My understanding of that feature was simply that the amp block will automatically load the speaker impedance curve of the cabinet model you select in the cab block. The current generation of Helix does not even allow for the user to select the speaker impedance curve; you are limited to the curve of the cabinet that Line6 deemed was most appropriate for that amp model.

On current generation Fractal products you can not only select the impedance curve from a list of presets, but you can also alter those curves or build one from scratch.
 
brendanmakesmusic said:
Also, I'm sick to death hearing about "capture" technology. I have some really nice tube amps. I'd still rather have an expert do an authentic amp model for me to use. I have yet to meet another working musician who gives a damn about amp capture tech being available to us at home.
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with you. However, the problem with that approach is that you are reliant on someone like Cliff to actually make that model for you to be able to use it. With capture technology, you don't have to wait.

Also, I have access to some Rockman gear that was never released to the public... I'm talking about some EXTREMELY RARE prototypes.... like, only ONE in existence. So someone like Cliff, as good as he is, CAN'T model that. Again, that's where capture technology can fill the gap.

For me, I bought the AXE FX III mainly for it's routing capabilities, and everything else it does is just a huge bonus. I also bought a ToneX pedal knowing that there were just some things that the AXE wouldn't be able to do because there is simply no model for it. If Fractal added NAM support as a block, then I wouldn't need the ToneX pedal anymore and life would be easier.

Clearly, Headrush saw that issue and added it to the Prime, and I was tempted to go that direction. Line 6 saw the same issue and are now addressing it in the Helix Stadium. I REALLY hope Fractal follows suit.... even better if they can do it with just a Firmware update!

Showcase Automation, on the other hand, is a VERY cool feature to have built in. I'm not cool enough to be in a band (how many people can sing like Brad Delp???), so I create backing tracks and play along with them using Cakewalk. Showcase sounds like it would allow me to do that without having to use a laptop to play backing tracks or for preset automation. Again, Headrush Prime offered something similar, but not to this degree. For a live setup, that might be enough to pull me in over an FM9....
 
Larsc said:
Honestly see this as a do everything performance box meant to be a TMP, QC, Boss GT, Headrush, Kemper, vocal processor and high end looper killer. The fact it has an SD card slot says as much.

Fractal’s dedicated focus on strictly amp/effect quality and quantity seems to be the polar opposite of new Helix Stadium focus.
Click to expand...
I think you are spot on. Other than the price tag, this really takes out all those others when it comes to the "Bar Band" players. I've heard plenty of bar bands using Helix's, and they sounded great. Now with capture technology, the Kemper and QC users can finally switch to Line 6 and get all the extra bells and whistles the Stadium offers.

On the other hand, you have Phil Collen of Def Leppard, Neal Schon of Journey, et al, using Fractal. Why? Because they can afford the best and they chose the best sound. They don't need Showcase for stage automation.... they have dedicated teams to do all their lighting and patch changes if they want. I think that says it all.
 
For those asking how does it sound, the main page song is done with the new stadium they say

https://line6.com/helix-stadium/

Also Igor said this about it as well on this video

"I mixed the track in this, guitars and bass are the new Agoura models and I didn't do much to them other than a bit of EQ to sit with the rest of the track (i.e. stuff you could do in the preset)."

 
I don't think Fractal has anything to worry about in terms of sound quality. My units aren't going anywhere. However, I wonder what kind of wizzbang features we'll see added in Fractal land as a response to this. The III seems like it has tons of DSP headroom for amp modeling advances. And again, competition always benefits the consumer in the end. As someone who eats, breathes and sleeps music tech, what a time to be alive!
 
Yes it looks amazing and line 6 has always been at the forefront of innovation. New modeling and capture tech could make this the best sounding and feeling device. Plus the ui looks phenomenal. As much as I love fractal I hate their ui so much. Feels like I’m using a gameboy sometimes or an old computer
 
If the demo is anything to go by, the Agora modeling sounds as stiff as the original Helix was when I owned one. Might I add, I really wanted to like it and tried hard to create Helix presets that matched my Fractal presets, but it was a lot of work to make the Helix get close and it still didn't match or feel the same.

The routing was shyte on the Helix compared to the Axe-FX II to top things off.

Meh! I do love the integrated expression pedal though.
 
What i want is just more experimentation when it comes to modelers. Crazy delays, loopers, and other weird effects. A full polyphonic guitar synth with different kinds of synthesis along with everything else etc.

All of the blues, metal, rock stuff is fine and does great and all of that kind of stuff is covered in every single modeler but most of these units don't have much in the way of experimenting except fractal does have lfo's, sequencers etc.. which is one reason I came over to this world (i love my fm9 and vp4), but I'd like to see more of it and weird/experimenting ideas too for effects!

We got to stop thinking modelers are just for blues, rock and metal type people. I love all of that too but I also love ambient, synthesizers and experimenting with sounds too. Give us chase bliss type idea, give us empress effects zoia type ideas etc. Wrap it all in the same box with the amps/cabs :D
 
Last edited:
Any chance Fractal's stakeholders, banks, creditors , and partners like G66 put a pressure on Fractal to move up new products ahead of schedule? No new products in spite of the recent moves of Kemper/Line6 would be concerning for them, regardless of lack of urgent necessity from Fractal and the customers...
 
RockmanCentral said:
No, they are definitely adding it in the Spring of next year. The caveat is whether it will be based on NAM or some other technology.
Click to expand...
I think they are doing their own but he also mentioned they are mulling over adding the ability to play NAM in addition to this, which would be great. It's not one or the other, at least that's not how I interpreted it. They already named/branded their tech. Having high quality modelling, L6 in house capturing, and NAM support in one device is pretty killer
 
km 202257 said:
Any chance Fractal's stakeholders, banks, creditors , and partners like G66 put a pressure on Fractal to move up new products ahead of schedule? No new products in spite of the recent moves of Kemper/Line6 would be concerning for them, regardless of lack of urgent necessity from Fractal and the customers...
Click to expand...
Fractal has a great UI. Unfortunately it's Axe Edit and not on device. They need to find a way to get that polished and into the next generation of devices. Keep the same physical buttons and knobs the way L6 did but make it in combination with a large touchscreen. I should not need to be entering preset names with a scroll wheel and enter key in 2025
 
I think Fractal could shut up most of the complaints about the UI by just releasing an Android/iOS touch-friendly version of the editors, without the need to put out new hardware.
And operating a tablet on a mic stand is much more comfortable than a screen on the floor.
 
BROCKSTAR said:
What i want is just more experimentation when it comes to modelers. Crazy delays, loopers, and other weird effects. A full polyphonic guitar synth with different kinds of synthesis along with everything else etc.

All of the blues, metal, rock stuff is fine and does great and all of that kind of stuff is covered in every single modeler but most of these units don't have much in the way of experimenting except fractal does have lfo's, sequencers etc.. which is one reason I came over to this world (i love my fm9 and vp4), but I'd like to see more of it and weird/experimenting ideas too for effects!

We got to stop thinking modelers are just for blues, rock and metal type people. I love all of that too but I also love ambient, synthesizers and experimenting with sounds too. Give us chase bliss type idea, give us empress effects zoia type ideas etc. Wrap it all in the same box with the amps/cabs :D
Click to expand...
Thing is, everybody wants "just this one thing", but they're all different.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom