Line6 Helix Stadium

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If your backup rig is a cheap modeller and a dirty pedal you still need to invest in a laptop if your show has lighting/video/backing tracks, and you need to pay someone to operate it unless you have your wife, girlfriend, buddy, etc. doing it for you. That's multiple warranties to deal with compared to having it all in one.
 
meat said:
If your backup rig is a cheap modeller and a dirty pedal you still need to invest in a laptop if your show has lighting/video/backing tracks, and you need to pay someone to operate it unless you have your wife, girlfriend, buddy, etc. doing it for you. That's multiple warranties to deal with compared to having it all in one.
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You can run all that from a phone and Bluetooth footswitch, without paying anyone.
 
meat said:
If your backup rig is a cheap modeller and a dirty pedal you still need to invest in a laptop if your show has lighting/video/backing tracks, and you need to pay someone to operate it unless you have your wife, girlfriend, buddy, etc. doing it for you. That's multiple warranties to deal with compared to having it all in one.
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I get what you are saying, IMO separating the job tasks to the laptop (Mac is going to be the most robust solution) will be more dependable and can be trigged by MIDI input. No family member needed. If the laptop falls over, your show can still continue. When dealing with jack of all trades (Mic input, guitar input, backing tracks, lighting) failure, you are down hard. The point still stands that all in one solutions carry substantial risk.
 
Thinking further, equating the loss of Stadium, you would have to lose the following things simultaneously in a traditional setup: Mixer, guitar modeler, laptop, lighting controller. I am heavily in favor of component systems of all types for this reason.
 
Dr.Lee said:
Not really a compelling response eh?
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There’s nothing in helix that suggests it’s a mixer or lighting controller.

The only capability added compared to traditional modelers is backing track playback with some ability to send midi commands at specified moments.
 
fcs101 said:
Good point that I'm not sure many are thinking about. It also begs the question of what exactly is this even? Seems like it's becoming a "jack of all trades" sort of thing. Not sure how many would use something like this to it's full potential.
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What is “full potential”?
 
vangrieg said:
There’s nothing in helix that suggests it’s a mixer or lighting controller.

The only capability added compared to traditional modelers is backing track playback with some ability to send midi commands at specified moments.
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It has a microphone input for the vocalist. Might as well lose the mixer for a lead vocalist, but that is splitting hairs. And it was advertised has being able to control your lights. MIDI commands access your other control systems. And backing tracks aka laptop would have to crash... So they all go down/freeze in place. Ever lose a laptop or have a integrated component in a stereo system go bad? The entire thing becomes unusable. Not sure why you are fighting against this so hard.
 
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This is a bit ridiculous

A mic input is a great capability for a singing guitarist. I have to slap some crappy external preamp to my pedalboard, add power to it, connect to the fractal device with a self soldered cable, so please don’t say it somehow avoids the “single point of failure” problem.
 
vangrieg said:
This is a bit ridiculous

A mic input is a great capability for a singing guitarist. I have to slap some crappy external preamp to my pedalboard, add power to it, connect to the fractal device with a self soldered cable, so please don’t say it somehow avoids the “single point of failure” problem.
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No I think you are simply being disagreeable. A single point of failure is a valid concern.
 
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vangrieg said:
There’s nothing in helix that suggests it’s a mixer or lighting controller.

The only capability added compared to traditional modelers is backing track playback with some ability to send midi commands at specified moments.
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If you can simultaneously run a mic, multiple instruments and external source audio, I'd say it's some form of a mixer.
If it can send MIDI to external devices, including lighting controllers, then I'd say it's capable of being a lighting controller.
What am I missing?
 
jimfist said:
If you can simultaneously run a mic, multiple instruments and external source audio, I'd say it's some form of a mixer.
If it can send MIDI to external devices, including lighting controllers, then I'd say it's capable of being a lighting controller.
What am I missing?
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He appears to be purposely obtuse. Good luck.
 
vangrieg said:
This is a bit ridiculous

A mic input is a great capability for a singing guitarist. I have to slap some crappy external preamp to my pedalboard, add power to it, connect to the fractal device with a self soldered cable, so please don’t say it somehow avoids the “single point of failure” problem.
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Yes I actually resent having to have a seprate mic preamp with it's own power supply and now a pedalboard. I don't care if the built in preamp will never be as potentially nice as a high end mic preamp.
 
Dr.Lee said:
I never said anything like that. You appear to just want to argue or I am not being clear enough. You have a good day.
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I’m running a mic through FM3 anyway, so the single point of failure isn’t going anywhere. But in addition to it, there’s some additional crappy equipment and cabling that’s more likely to fail than the FM3.

Yes it is more reliable to have everything separate, but it also makes thing more complex, more expensive, bigger, heavier, and introduces additional points of failure, so the whole point is philosophical.

If you’re worried a out single points of failure don’t use modelers (after all having drive pedals and reverbs separate is more reliable by your logic), don’t put them all in a pedalboard (what if power supply fails), etc.
 
meat said:
Yes I actually resent having to have a seprate mic preamp with it's own power supply and now a pedalboard. I don't care if the built in preamp will never be as potentially nice as a high end mic preamp.
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Why are you bringing a dedicated mic preamp? What is that providing for you? Most mic pres on mixers these days are fairly transparent.
 
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